 Book 2, Chapter 7 of A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1 by James Cook. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Recording by David Cole. Book 2, Chapter 7. Sequel of the passage from New Zealand to Easter Island and transactions there. With an account of an expedition to discover the inland part of the country, and a description of some of the surprising gigantic statues found in the island, 1774 March. At eight o'clock in the morning on the eleventh, land was seen from the mast head, bearing west and at noon from the deck, extending from west three-quarter north to west by south, about twelve leagues distance. I made no doubt that this was Davies' land or Easter Island, as its appearance from this situation corresponded very well with Wafer's account. And we expected to have seen the low sandy isle that Davies fell in with, which would have been a confirmation. But in this we were disappointed. At seven o'clock in the evening the island bore from north sixty-two west to north eighty-seven west, about five leagues distance. In which situation we sounded without finding ground with a line of a hundred and forty fathoms. Here we spent the night, having alternately light airs and calms, till ten o'clock the next morning, when a breeze sprung up at west-south-west. With this we stretched in for the land, and with the help of our glass-discovered people, and some of those colossal eons, statues or idols mentioned in the account of Rogovine's voyage. At four o'clock p.m. we were half a league south-southeast and north-northwest of the northeast point of the island, and on sounding found thirty-five fathoms, a dark sandy bottom. I now tacked an endeavour to get into what appeared to be a bay on the west side of the point or southeast side of the island, but before this could be accomplished night came upon us and we stood on and off under the land till the next morning, having sounding from seventy-five to one hundred and ten fathoms the same bottom as before. On the thirteenth about eight o'clock in the morning the wind, which had been variable most part of the night, fixed at southeast and blew in squalls, accompanied with rain, but it was not long before the weather became fair. As the wind now blew right to the southeast shore, which does not afford that shelter I at first thought, I resolved to look for anchorage on the west and northwest sides of the island. With this view I bore up round the south point, off which lie two small islets, the one nearest the point high and peaked, and the other low and flat-ish. After getting round the point and coming before a sandy beach, we found soundings thirty and forty fathoms, sandy ground, and about one mile from the shore. Here a canoe conducted by two men came off to us. They brought with them a bunch of plantains which they sent into the ship by a rope, and then they returned ashore. This gave us a good opinion of the islanders, and inspired us with hopes of getting some refreshments, which we were in great want of. I continued to range along the coast till we opened the northern point of the isle, without seeing a better anchoring place than the one we had passed. We therefore tacked and plied back to it, and in the meantime sent away the master in a boat to sound the coast. He returned about five o'clock in the evening, and soon after we came into an anchor in thirty-six fathoms water, before the sandy beach above mentioned. As the master drew near the shore with a boat, one of the natives swam off to her, and insisted on coming aboard the ship, where he remained two nights in a day. The first thing he did after coming aboard was to measure the length of the ship by fathoming her from the tafferel to the stern, and as he counted the fathoms, we observed that he called the numbers by the same names that they do at Otahiti. Nevertheless, his language was in a manner wholly unintelligible to all of us. Having anchored too near the edge of a bank, a fresh breeze from the land about three o'clock the next morning drove us off it, on which the anchor was heaved up and sail made to regain the bank again. While the ship was plying in, I went to shore, accompanied by some of the gentlemen, to see what the island was likely to afford us. We landed at the sandy beach, where some hundreds of the natives were assembled, and who were so impatient to see us that many of them swam off to meet the boats. Not one of them had so much as a stick or weapon of any sort in their hands. After distributing a few trinkets amongst them, we made signs for something to eat, which they brought down a few potatoes, plantains, and sugar canes, and exchanged them for nails, looking-glasses, and pieces of cloth. We presently discovered that they were as expert thieves and as tricking in their exchanges, as any people we had yet met with. It was with some difficulty that we could keep the hats on our heads, but hardly possible to keep anything in our pockets, even what themselves had sold us, for they would watch every opportunity to snatch it from us, so that we sometimes bought the same thing two or three times over, and after all did not get it. Before I sailed from England, I was informed that a Spanish ship had visited this isle in 1769. Some signs of it were seen among the people now about us. One man had a pretty good broad-brimmed European hat on, another had a grey-goe jacket, and another red-silk handkerchief. They also seemed to know the use of a musket, and to stand in much awe of it, but this they probably learned from Rogovine, who, if we are to believe the authors of that voyage, left them sufficient tokens. Near the place where we landed were some of those statues before mentioned, which I shall describe in another place. The country appeared barren and without wood. There were, nevertheless, several plantations of potatoes, plantains, and sugar canes. We also saw some fowls, and found a well of brackish water. As these were articles we were in want of, and as the natives seemed not unwilling to part with them, I resolved to stay a day or two. With this view I repaired on board, and brought the ship to an anchor in thirty-two fathoms water. The bottom a fine dark sand. Our station was about a mile from the nearest shore, the south point of a small bay, in the bottom of which is the sandy beach before mentioned, being east-south-east distant one mile and a half. The two rocky islets lying off the south point of the island were just shut behind a point to the north of them. They bore south three-quarters west, four miles distant, and the other extreme of the island bore north twenty-five degrees east, distant about six miles. But the best mark for this anchoring place is the beach, because it is the only one on this side of the island. In the afternoon we got on board a few casks of water, and opened a trade with the natives for such things they had to dispose of. Some of the gentlemen also made an excursion into the country to see what it produced, and returned again in the evening with the loss only of a hat, which one of the natives snatched off the head of one of the party. Early next morning I sent Lieutenant Pickersgill and Edgecomb with a party of men, accompanied by several of the gentlemen, to examine the country, as I was not sufficiently recovered from my late illness to make one of the party. I was obliged to content myself with remaining at the landing-place among the natives. We had at one time a pretty brisk trade with them for potatoes, which we observed they dug up out of an adjoining plantation. But this traffic, which was very advantageous to us, was soon put to stock too by the owner, as we supposed, of the plantation coming down and driving all the people out of it. By this we concluded that he had been robbed of his property, and that they were not less scrupulous of stealing from one another than from us, on whom they practiced every little fraud they could think of, and generally with success. For we no sooner detected them in one than they found out another. About seven o'clock in the evening the party I had sent into the country returned after having been over the greatest part of the island. They left the beach about nine o'clock in the morning, and took a path which led across to the southeast side of the island, followed by a great crowd of the natives who pressed mush upon them. But they had not proceeded far before a middle-aged man, punctured from head to foot, and his face painted with a sort of white pigment, appeared with a spear in his hand, and walked alongside of them, making signs to his countrymen to keep it a distance, and not to molest our people. When he had pretty well effected this he hoisted a piece of white cloth on his spear, placed himself in the front, and led the way with his end sign of peace, as they understood it to be. For the greatest part of the distance across the ground had but a barren appearance, being a dry hard clay, and everywhere covered with stones. But notwithstanding this there were several large tracts planted with potatoes, and some plantain walks, but they sow no fruit on any of the trees. Towards the highest part of the south end of the island, the soil, which was a fine red earth, seemed much better, bore longer grass and was not covered with stones as in the other parts. But here they saw neither house nor plantation. On the east side near the sea they met with three platforms of stonework, or rather the ruins of them. On each had stood four of those large statues, but they were all fallen down from two of them, and also one from the third. All except one were broken by the fall, or in some measure defaced. Mr. Wales measured this one, and found it to be fifteen feet in length, and six feet broad over the shoulders. Each statue had on its head a large cylindric stone of a red color wrought perfectly round. The one they measured, which was not by far the largest, was fifty-two inches high and sixty-six in diameter. In some the upper corner of the cylinder was taken off in a sort of concave quarter round, but in others the cylinder was entire. From this place they followed the direction of the coast to the northeast, the man with the flag still leading the way. For about three miles they found the country very barren, and in some places stripped of the soil to the bare rock, which seemed to be a poor sort of iron ore. Beyond this they came to the most fertile part of the island they saw, it being interspersed with plantations of potatoes, sugar canes, and plantain trees, and these not so much encumbered with stones as those which they had seen before, but they could find no water except what the natives twice or thrice brought them, which, though brackish and stinking, was rendered acceptable by the extremity of their thirst. They also passed some huts, the owners of which met them with roasted potatoes and sugar canes, and placing themselves ahead of the foremost party, for they marched in a line in order to have the benefit of the path, gave one to each man as he passed by. They observed the same method in distributing the water which they brought, and were particularly careful that the foremost did not drink too much, lest none should be left for the hindmost. But at the very time these were relieving the thirsty and hungry, there were not wanting others who endeavored to steal from them the very things which had been given them. At last, to prevent worse consequences, they were obliged to fire a load of small shot at one who was so audacious as to snatch from one of the men the bag which contained everything they carried with them. The shot hit him on the back, on which he dropped the bag, ran a little way and then fell, but he afterwards got up and walked, and what became of him they knew not, nor whether he was much wounded. As this affair occasioned some delay and drew the natives together, they presently saw the man who had hitherto led the way and one or two more, coming running towards them, but instead of stopping when they came up, they continued to run round them, repeating in a kind manner a few words until our people set forwards again. Then their old guide hoisted his flag, leading the way as before, and none ever attempted to steal from them the whole day afterwards. As they passed along, they observed on a hill a number of people collected together, some of whom had spears in their hands, but on their being called to by their countrymen, they dispersed, except a few, amongst whom was one seemingly of some note. He was a stout, well-made man with a fine open and countenance. His face was painted, his body punctured, and he wore a better ha-how or cloth than the rest. He saluted them as they came up, by stretching out his arms, with both hands clenched, lifting them over his head, opening them wide, and then letting them fall gradually down to his sides. To this man whom they understood to be chief of the island, their other friend gave his white flag, and he gave him another, who carried it before them the remainder of the day. Towards the eastern end of the island they met with a well whose water was perfectly fresh, being considerably above the level of the sea. But it was dirty owing to the filthiness or cleanliness, coyt what you will of the natives, who never go to drink without washing themselves all over as soon as they have done. And if ever so many of them are together, the first leaves right into the middle of the hole, drinks and washes himself without the least ceremony, after which another takes his place and does the same. They observed that this side of the island was full of those gigantic statues so often mentioned. Some placed in groups on platforms of masonry, other single fixed only in the earth and that not deep, and these latter are in general much larger than the others. Having measured one which had fallen down, they found it very near twenty-seven feet long, and upwards of eight feet over the breast or shoulders, and yet disappeared considerably short of the size of one they saw standing. It's shade a little past two o'clock, being sufficient to shelter all the party consisting of near thirty persons, from the rays of the sun. Here they stopped to dine, after which they repaired to a hill, from whence they saw all the eastern north shores of the isle, on which they could not see either bay or creek fit even for a boat to land in, nor the least signs of fresh water. What the natives brought them here was real salt water, but they observed that some of them drank pretty plentifully of it, so far will necessity and custom get the better of nature. On this account they were obliged to return to the last mentioned well, where, after having quenched their thirst, they directed their route across the island towards the ship, as it was now four o'clock. In a small hollow on the highest part of the island, they met with several such cylinders as are placed on the heads of the statues. Some of these appeared larger than any they had seen before, but it was now too late to stop to measure any of them. Mr. Wales, from whom I had this information, is of opinion that there had been a quarry here, whence these stones had formerly been dug, and that it would have been no difficult matter to roll them down the hill after they were formed. I think this a very reasonable conjecture, and have no doubt that it has been so. On the declivity of the mountain towards the west, they met with another well, but the water was a very strong mineral, had a thick green scum on the top, and stunk intolerably. Necessity, however, obliged some to drink of it, but it soon made them so sick, they threw it up the same way that it went down. In all this excursion, as well as the one made the preceding day, only two or three shrubs were seen. The leaf and seed of one, called by the natives Torometo, were not much unlike those of the common veg, but the pod was more like that of a tamarind in its size and shape. The seeds have a disagreeable bitter taste, and the natives, when they saw our people chew them, made signs to spit them out, from whence it was concluded that they think them poisonous. The wood is of a reddish colour and pretty hard and heavy, but very crooked, small and short, not exceeding six or seven feet in height. At the southwest corner of the island, they found another small shrub, whose leaf was white and brittle, and in some measure, as also its leaf, resembling the ash. They also saw in several places the outer heat and cloth plant, but it was poor and weak, another above two and a half feet high at most. They saw not an animal of any sort, and but very few birds, nor indeed anything which can induce ships that are not in the utmost distress to touch at this island. This accounted the excursion I had from Mr. Pickerskill and Mr. Wales, men on whose veracity I could depend, and therefore I determined to leave the island the next morning, since nothing was to be obtained that could make it worth my while to stay longer. For the water which we had sent on board was not much better than if it had been taken up out of the sea. We had a calm till ten o'clock in the morning of the sixteenth, when a breeze sprung up at west accompanied with heavy showers of rain, which lasted about an hour. The weather then clearing up we got under sail stood to sea and kept playing to and fro, while an officer was sent on shore with two boats to purchase such refreshments as the natives might have brought down. For I judged this would be the case as they knew nothing of our sailing. The event proved that I was not mistaken, for the boats made two trips before night when we hoisted them in and made sail to the north-west with a light breeze at north-northeast. End of Book Two Chapter Seven Recording by David Cole, Medway, Massachusetts Book Two Chapter Eight 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 Eight A description of the island and its produced situation in inhabitants, their manners and customs, conjectures concerning their government, religion, and other subjects, with a more particular account of the gigantic statues. 1774 March I shall now give some further account of this island, which is undoubtedly the same that Admiral Roger Vane touched at in April 1722. Although the description given of it by the authors of that voyage does by no means agree with it now. It may also be the same that was seen by Captain Davis in 1686, for when seen from the east it answers very well to Wafer's description as I have before observed. In short, if this is not the land, his discovery cannot lie far from the coast of America, as this latitude has been well explored from the radian of 80 degrees to 110 degrees. Captain Catterette carried it much further, but his track seems to have been a little too far south. Had I found fresh water, I intended spending some days in looking for the low sandy isle Davis fell in with, which would have determined the point. But as I did not find water and had a long run to make before I was assured of getting any, and being in want of refreshments, I declined the search. As a small delay might have been attended with bad consequences to the crew, many of them beginning to be more or less affected with the scurvy. No nation need contend for the honour of the discovery of this island, as there can be few places which afford less convenience for shipping than it does. Here is no safe anchorage, no wood for fuel, nor any fresh water worth taking on board. Nature has been exceedingly sparing of her favours to this spot. As everything must be raised by dint of labour, it cannot be supposed that the inhabitants plant much more than is sufficient for themselves. And as they are but few in number, they cannot have much despair to supply the ones of visitant strangers. The produce is sweet potatoes, yams, tar or iddy root, plantains and sugar canes, all pretty good the potatoes especially, which are the best of the kind I ever tasted. Goods they have also, but so very few, that a coconut shell was the most valuable thing we could give them. They have a few tame fowls, such as cocks and hens, small but well-tasted. They have also rats, which it seems they eat, for I saw a man with some dead ones in his hand, and he seemed unwilling to part with them, giving me to understand they were for food. Of land-birds there were hardly any, and sea-birds but few. These were men of war, and they were not a topic in egg-birds, not eastern, etc. The coast seemed not to abound with fish, at least we could catch none with hook and line, and it was but very little we saw among the natives. Such is the produce of Easter Island or Davis's land, which is situated in 27 degrees, 5 minutes 30 seconds south, longer it should 109 degrees, and 50 seconds west. It is about 10 or 12 leagues in circuit, at the hilly and stony surface, and an iron-bound shore. The hills are of such a height as to be seen 15 or 16 leagues. Off the south end are two rocky islets, lying near the shore. The north and east points of the island rise directly from the sea to a considerable height. Between them and the southeast side, the shore forms an open bay, in which I believe the Dutch anchored. We anchored, as hath been already mentioned, on the west side of the island, 3 miles to the north of the south point, with the sandy beach bearing east-southeast. This is a very good road with easterly winds, but a dangerous one with westerly, as the other on the southeast side must be with easterly winds. For this and other bad accommodations already mentioned, nothing but necessity will induce anyone to touch at this isle, unless it can be done without getting much out of the way. In which case touching here may be advantageous, as the people willingly and readily part with such refreshments as they have, and at an easy rate. We certainly received great benefit from the little we got, but few ships can come here without being in want of water, and this want cannot be here supplied. The little we took on board could not be made use of, being only salt water which had filtered through a stony beach into a stone well. This the natives had made for the purpose, a little to the southward of the sandy beach so often mentioned, and the water ebbed and flowed into it with the tide. The inhabitants of this island do not seem to exceed six or seven hundred soles, and above two-thirds of those we saw were males. They either have but few females amongst them, or else many were restrained from making their appearance during our stay, for though we saw nothing to induce us to believe the men were of a jealous disposition, or the women afraid to appear in public, something of this kind was probably the case. In colour, features and language, they bear such an affinity to the people of the more western isles that no one will doubt they have had the same origin. It is extraordinary that the same nation should have spread themselves over all the isles in this vast ocean, from New Zealand to this island, which is almost one fourth part of the circumference of the globe. Many of them have now no other knowledge of each other than what is preserved by antiquated tradition, and they have, by length of time, become, as it were, different nations, each having adopted some peculiar custom or habit, etc. Nevertheless, a careful observer will soon see the affinity each has to the other. In general, the people of this isle are a slender race. I did not see a man that would measure six feet. So far are they from being giants, as one of the authors of Raghavine's voyage asserts. They are brisk and active, have good features, and not disagreeable countenances, are friendly and hospitable to strangers, but as much addicted to pilfering as any of their neighbours. Tattooing, or puncturing the skin, is much used here. The men are marked from head to foot, with figures all nearly alike. Only some give them one direction and some another, as fancy leads. The women are but little punctured. Red and white paint is an ornament with them, as also with the men. The former is made of tumeric, but what composes the latter I know not. Their clothing is a piece or two of quilted cloth, about six feet by four, or a mat. One piece wrapped round their loins and another over their shoulders make a complete dress. But the men, for the most part, are in a manner naked, wearing nothing but a slip of cloth betwixt their legs, each end of which is fastened to a cord or belt they wear round the waist. Their cloth is made of the same materials as at Otahiti, vis of the bark of the cloth plant, but as they have but little of it, our Otahitan cloth, or indeed any sort of it, came here to a good market. Their hair, in general, is black. The women wear it long and sometimes tied up on the crown of the head. But the men wear it and their beards cropped short. Their headdress is a round fillet adorned with feathers and a straw bonnet something like a scotch one. The former, I believe, being chiefly worn by the men and the latter by the women. Both men and women have very large holes or rather slits in their ears, extending to near three inches in length. They sometimes turn this slit over the upper part and then the ear looks as if the flap was cut off. The chief ear ornaments are the wide down of feathers and rings which they wear in the inside of the hole made of some elastic substance rolled up like a watchspring. I judged this was to keep the hole at its utmost extension. I do not remember seeing them wear any other ornaments excepting amulets made of bone or shells. As harmless and friendly as these people seem to be, they are not without offensive weapons such as short wooden clubs and spheres, a matter of which are crooked sticks about six feet long, armed at one end with pieces of flint. They have also a weapon made of wood like the Patu Patu of New Zealand. Their houses are low miserable huts constructed by setting sticks upright in the ground at six or eight feet distance, then bending them towards each other and tying them together at the top, making thereby a kind of Gothic arch. The longest sticks are placed in the middle and shorter ones each way and less distance asunder, by which means the building is highest and broadest in the middle and lower and narrower towards each end. To these are tied others horizontally and the hole is thatched over with leaves of sugarcane. The doorway is in the middle of one side of the porch and so low and narrow as just to admit a man to enter upon all fours. The largest house I saw was about sixty feet long, eight or nine feet high in the middle and three or four at each end. Its breadth at these parts was nearly equal to its height. Some have a kind of vaulted houses built with stone at partly underground, but I never was in one of these. I saw no household utensils among them except gourds and of these but very few. They were extravagantly fond of coconut shells, more so than of anything we could give them. They dressed their vitals in the same manner as Ohtahiti, that is, with hot stones in an oven or hole in the ground. The straw or tops of sugarcane, plantain heads, etc. serve them for fuel to heat the stones. Plantains, which require but little dressing, they roast under fires of straw, dry grass, etc. and the whole races of them are ripened or roasted in this manner. We frequently saw ten or a dozen or more such fires in one place and most commonly in the mornings and evenings. Not more than three or four canoes were seen at the whole island and these very mean and built of many pieces sewed together with small line. They are about 18 or 20 feet long, head and stem carved or raised a little, are very narrow and fitted without rigours. They do not seem capable of carrying above four persons and are by no means fit for any distant navigation. As small and mean as these canoes were, it was a matter of wonder to us where they got the wood to build them with. For in one of them was a board six or eight feet long, 14 inches broad at one end and eight at the other, whereas we did not see a stick on the island that would have made a board half this size nor indeed was there another piece in the whole canoe half as big. There are two but ways by which it is possible they may have got this large wood. It may have been left here by the Spaniards or it might have been driven on the shore of the island from some distant land. It is even possible there may be some land in the neighbourhood from whence they might have got it. We however saw no signs of any, nor could we get the least information on this head from the natives or though we tried every method we could think of to obtain it. We were almost as unfortunate in our inquiries as a proper or native name of the island. For on comparing notes, I found we had got three different names for it Viz, Tamarecki, Waihu and Tiappi. Without pretending to say which or whether any of them is right, I shall only observe that the last was obtained by Oedidi who understood their language much better than any of us though even he understood it but very imperfectly. It appears by the account of Roger Vine's voyage that these people had no better vessels than when he first visited them. The want of materials and not of genius seems to be the reason why they have made no improvement in this art. Some pieces of carving were found amongst them, both well designed and executed. Their plantations are prettily laid out by line but not enclosed by any fence. Indeed they have nothing for this purpose but stones. I have no doubt that all these plantations are private property and that they are here as at Oedidi, chiefs, which they call Arikis, to whom these plantations belong. But of the power or authority of these chiefs or of the government of these people I confess myself quite ignorant. Nor are we better acquainted with their religion. The gigantic statues so often mentioned are not in my opinion looked upon as idols by the present inhabitants, whatever they might have been in the days of the Dutch. At least I saw nothing that could induce me to think so. On the contrary I rather suppose that they are burying places for certain tribes or families. I as well as some others saw a human skeleton lying in one of the platforms just covered with stones. Some of these platforms of masonry are 30 or 40 feet long, 12 or 16 broad and from 3 to 12 in height, which last in some measure depends on the nature of the ground, for they are generally at the brink of the bank facing the sea, so that this face may be 10 or 12 feet or more high and the other may not be above 3 or 4. They are built or rather faced with huge stones of a very large size and the workmanship is not inferior to the best plain piece of masonry we have in England. They use no sort of cement, yet the joints are exceedingly close and the stones mortised and tenanted one into another in a very artful manner. The sidewalls are not perpendicular but inclining a little inwards in the same manner that breast-works etc. are built in Europe. Yet had not all this care, pains and sagacity been able to preserve these curious structures from the ravages of all devouring time, the statues or at least many of them are erected on these platforms which serve as foundations. They are, as near as we could judge, about half length, ending in a sort of stump at the bottom on which they stand. The workmanship is rude but not bad nor are the features of the face ill-formed, the nose and chin in particular, but the ears are long beyond proportion and as to the bodies there is hardly anything like a human figure about them. I had an opportunity of examining only two or three of these statues which are near the landing place and they were of a grey stone, seemingly of the same sort as that with which the platforms were built. But some of the gentlemen who travelled over the island and examined many of them were of opinion that the stone of which they were made was different from any they saw on the island and had much the appearance of being fractitious. We could hardly conceive how these islanders, wholly unacquainted with any mechanical power, could raise such stupendous figures and afterwards place the large cylindric stones before mentioned upon their heads. The only method I can conceive is by raising the upper end by little and little, supporting it by stones as it is raised and building about it till they got it erect. Thus a sort of mount or scaffolding would be made, upon which they might roll the cylinder and place it upon the head of the statue and then the stones might be removed from about it. But if the stones are fractitious the statues might have been put together on the place in their present position and the cylinder put on by building a mount round them, as above mentioned. But let them have been made and set up by this or any other method. They must have been a work of immense time and sufficiently show the ingenuity and perseverance of these islanders in the age in which they were built. For the present inhabitants have most certainly had no hand in them and they do not even repair the foundations of those which are going to decay. They give different names to them such as go to Moara, Marapate, Canaro, Goa Tugu, Matamata, etc. etc. to which they sometimes prefix the word Moe and sometimes annex Ariki. The latter signifies chief and the former burying or sleeping place as well as we could understand. Besides the monuments of antiquity which were pretty numerous and nowhere but on or near the sea coast there were many little heaps of stones piled up in different places along the coast. Two or three of the uppermost stones in each pile were generally white. Perhaps always so when the pile is complete. It will hardly be doubted that these piles of stones had a meaning. Probably they might mark the place where people had been buried and serve instead of the large statues. The working tools of these people are but very mean and like those of all the other islands we had visited in this ocean made of stone, bone, shells, etc. They set but little value on iron or iron tools which is they more extraordinary as they know their use. But the reason may be they're having but little occasion for them. End of Book 2, Chapter 8 Recording by David Cole Medway, Massachusetts Book 2, Chapter 9 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 9 The passage from Easter Island to the Marquesas Islands Transactions and incidents which happened while the ship lay in Madre de Dios or Resolution Bay in the Island of St. Christina. 1774, March After leaving Easter Island I steered north-west by north and north-north-west with a fine easterly gale intending to touch at the Marquesas if I met with nothing before I got there. We had not been long at sea before the bilious disorder made another attack upon me but not as violent as the former. I believe this second visit was owing to exposing and fatiguing myself too much at Easter Island. On the 22nd being in a latitude of 19 degrees 20 minutes south longitude 114 degrees 49 minutes west steered north-west. Since leaving Easter Island the variation had not been more than 3 degrees 4 minutes nor less than 2 degrees 32 minutes east. But on the 26th at 6am in latitude 15 degrees 7 minutes south longitude 119 degrees 45 minutes west it was no more than 1 degree 1 minute east after which it began to increase. On the 29th being in the latitude of 10 degrees 20 minutes longitude 123 degrees 58 minutes west altered the course to west-north-west and the next day to west being then in latitude 9 degrees 24 minutes which I judged to be the parallel of my quasars where as I have before observed I intended to touch in order to settle their situation which I find different in different charts. Having now a steadily settled trade wind and pleasant weather I ordered the forge to be set up to repair and make various necessary articles in the iron way and the caulkers had already been some time at work caulking the decks weather works etc. 1774 April As we advanced to the west we found the variation to increase but slowly for on the 3rd of April it was only 4 degrees 40 minutes east being then in the latitude of 9 degrees 32 minutes longitude 132 degrees 45 minutes by observation made at the same time I continued to steer to the west till the 6th at 4 in the afternoon at which time being in the latitude of 9 degrees 20 minutes longitude 138 degrees 14 minutes west we discovered an island bearing west by south distant about 9 leagues 2 hours after we saw another bearing south-west by south which appeared more extensively than the former I hauled up for this island and ran under an easy sail all night having squally unsettled rainy weather which is not very uncommon in this sea when near high land at 6 o'clock the next morning the first island bore northwest the second south-west a half west and a third west I gave orders to steer for the separation between the two last and soon after a fourth was seen still more to the west by this time we were well assured that these were the Macquasers discovered by Mendana in 1595 the first isle was a new discovery which I named Hoods Island after the young gentlemen who first saw it the second was that of Saint Pedro the third La Dominica and the fourth Saint Christina we arranged the southeast coast of La Dominica without seeing the least signs of anchorage till we came to the channel that divides from Saint Cristiana through which we passed hauled over for the last mentioned island and ran along the coast of the southwest in search of Mendana's port we passed several coves in which there seemed to be anchorage but a great surf broke on all the shores some canoes put off from these places and followed us down the coast at length, having come before the port we were in search of we attempted to turn into it the wind being right out but as it blew in violent scores from this high land one of these took us just after we had put in stays paid the ship off again and before she wore round she was within a few yards of being driven against the rocks to Leeward this obliged us to stand out to sea and to make a stretch to Windward after which we stood in again and without attempting to turn anchored in the entrance of the bay in 34 fathoms water a fine sandy bottom this was no sooner done than about 30 or 40 of the natives came off to us in 10 or 12 canoes but it required some address to get them alongside at last a hatchet and some spiked nails induced the people in one canoe to come under the quarter gallery after which all the others put alongside and having exchanged some breadfruit and fish for small nails etc. retired ashore the sun being already set we observed a heap of stones on the bow of each canoe and every man to have a sling tied round his hand very early next morning the natives visited us again in much greater numbers than before bringing with them breadfruit, plantains and one pig all of which they exchanged for nails etc. but in this traffic they would frequently keep our goods and make no return till at last I was obliged to fire a musketball over one man who had several times served in this manner after which they dealt more fairly and soon after several of them came on board at this time we were preparing to warp further into the bay and I was going in a boat to look for the most convenient place to moor the ship in observing too many of the natives on board I said to the officers you must look well after these people or they will certainly carry off something or another I had hardly got into the boat before I was told they had stolen one of the iron stanchions from the opposite gangway and were making off with it I ordered them to fire over the canoe till I could get round in the boat but not to kill anyone but the natives made too much noise for me to be heard and the unhappy thief was killed at the third shot two others in the same canoe leaped overboard but got in again just as I came to them the stanchion they had thrown overboard one of them, a man grown sat bailing the blood and water out of the canoe in a kind of hysteric laugh the other, a youth about 14 or 15 years of age looked on the deceased with a serious and dejected countenance we had afterwards reason to believe he was his son at this unhappy accident all the natives retired with the precipitation I followed them into the bay and prevailed upon the people in one canoe to come alongside the boat and receive some nails and other things which I gave them this in some measure laid their fears having taken a view of the bay and found that fresh water which we most wanted was to be had I returned on board and carried out a cage anchor with three horses upon an end to warp the ship in by and hove short on the bower one would have thought that the natives by this time would have been so sensible of the effect of our firearms as not to have provoked us to fire upon them anymore but the event proved otherwise for the boat had not sooner left the cage anchor than two men in a canoe put off from the shore took hold of the buoy rope and attempted to drag it ashore little considering what was past to it lest after discovering their mistake they should take away the buoy I ordered a musket to be fired at them the ball fell short and they took not the least notice of it but a second having passed over them they let go the buoy and made for the shore this was the last shot we had occasion to fire at any of them while we lay at this place it probably had more effect than killing the man by showing them that they were not safe at any distance at least we had reason to think so for they afterwards stood in great dread of the musket nevertheless they would very often be exercising their talent of thieving upon us which I thought proper to put up with as our stay was not likely to be long amongst them the trouble these people gave us retarded us so long that before we were ready to heave the anchor the wind began to increase and blowing squalls out of the bay so that we were obliged to lie fast it was not long before the natives ventured off to us again in the first canoe which came was a man who seemed to be of some consequence he advanced slowly with a pig on his shoulder and speaking something which we did not understand as soon as he got alongside I made him a present of a hatchet and several other articles in return he sent in his pig and was at last prevailed upon to come himself up to the gangway where he made but a short stay the reception this man met with induced the people in all the other canoes to put alongside and exchanges were presently re-established matters being thus settled on board I went on shore with a party of men to see what was to be done there we were received by the natives with great courtesy and as if nothing had happened trafficked with them for some fruit and a few small pigs and after loading the launch with water returned aboard after dinner I sent the boats ashore for water under the protection of a guard on their landing the natives all fled but one man and he seemed much frightened afterwards one or two more came down and these were all that were seen this afternoon we could not conceive the reason of this sudden flight early in the morning of the ninth the boats were sent as usual for water and just as they were coming off but not before some of the natives made their appearance after breakfast I landed some little time before the guard when the natives crowded round me in great numbers but as soon as the guard landed I had enough to do to keep them from running off at length their fears vanished and a trade was opened for fruit and pigs I believe the reason of the natives flying from our people the day before was they are not seeing me at the head of them for they certainly would have done the same today had I not been present about noon a chief of some consequence attended by a great number of people came down to the landing place I presented him with such articles as I had with me and in return he gave me some of his ornaments after these mutual exchanges a good understanding seemed to be established between us so that we got by exchanges as much fruit as loaded two boats with which we returned on board to dinner but could not prevail on the chief to accompany us in the afternoon the watering and trading parties were sent on shore though the latter got but little as most of the natives had retired into the country a party of us went to the other or southern cove of the bay where I procured five pigs and came to the house which we were told did belong to the man we had killed he must have been a person of some note as there were six pigs in and about his house which we were told belonged to his son who fled on our approach I wanted much to have seen him to make him a present and by other kind treatment to convince him and the others that it was not from any bad design against the nation that we had killed his father it would have been to little purpose if I had left anything in the house as it certainly would have been taken by others especially as I could not sufficiently explain to them my meaning strict honesty was seldom observed when the property of our things came to be disputed I saw a striking instance of this in the morning when I was going ashore a man in a canoe offered me a small pig for a six inch spike and another man being employed to convey it I gave him the spike which he kept for himself and instead of it gave to the man who owned the pig a six pinny nail words of course arose and I waited to see how it would end but as the man who had possession of the spike seemed resolved to keep it I left them before it was decided in the evening we returned on board with what refreshments we had collected and thought we had made a good day's work on the 10th early in the morning some people from more distant parts came in canoes alongside and sold us some pigs so that we had now sufficient to give the crew a fresh meal they were in general so small that 40 or 50 were hardly sufficient for this purpose the trade on shore for fruit was as brisk as ever after dinner I made a little expedition in my boat along the coast to the southward accompanied by some of the gentlemen at the different places we touched at we collected 18 pigs and I believe might have got more the people were exceedingly obliging wherever we landed and readily brought down whatever we desired the next morning I went down to the same place where we had been the preceding evening but instead of getting pigs as I expected found the scene quite changed the nails and other things they were mad about but the evening before they now despised and instead of them wanted they did not know what so that I was obliged to return with three or four little pigs which cost more than a dozen did the day before when I got on board I found the same change it happened there was also at the trading place on shore the reason was several of the young gentlemen having landed the preceding day had given away in exchange various articles which the people had not seen before and which took with them more than nails or more useful iron tools but what ruined our market the most was one of them giving for a pig a very large quantity of red feathers and it got dams to dam none of us knew at this time that this article was in such estimation here and if I had known it I could not have supported the trade in the manner it was begun one day thus was our fine prospect of getting a plentiful supply of refreshments for these people frustrated which will ever be the case so long as everyone is allowed to make exchanges for what he pleases and in what manner he pleases when I found this island was not likely to supply us in any conditions with sufficient refreshments such as we might expect to find at the society islands nor very convenient for taking in wood and water nor forgiving the ship the necessary prayers she wanted I resolved forthwith to leave it and proceed to some other place where I once might be effectually relieved for after having been 19 weeks at sea and living all the time upon salt diet we could not but grant some refreshments although I must own and that with pleasure that on our arrival here it could hardly be said we had one sick man and but a few who had the least complaint this was undoubtedly owing to the many anti-scorbuting articles we had on board and to the great attention of the surgeon who was remarkably careful to apply them in time End of Book 2, Chapter 9 Recording by David Cole, Medway, Massachusetts Book 2, Chapter 10 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 10 Departure from the Marquises a description of the situation, extent, figure and appearance of the several islands with some account of the inhabitants their customs dress, habitations, food, weapons and canoes, 1774, April At three o'clock in the afternoon we wade and stood over from St. Christina for La Dominica in order to take a view of the west side of that isle but as it was dark before we reached it the night was spent implying between the two isles The next morning we had a full view of the southwest point from which the coast trended northeast so that it was not probable we should find good anchorage on that side as being exposed to the easterly winds we had now but little wind in that very variable with showers of rain at length we got a breeze at east northeast with which we steered to the south at five o'clock p.m. Resolution Bay bore east northeast a half east distant five leagues and the island of Magdalena southeast about nine leagues distance this was the only site we had of this isle from hence I steered south southwest a half west for Otehiti with a view of falling in with some of those isles discovered by former navigators especially those discovered by the Dutch whose situations are not well determined but it will be necessary to return to the Marquesas which were, as I have already observed first discovered by Mendana, a Spaniard and from him obtained the general name they now bear as well as those of the different isles the nautical account of them in volume one page 61 of Dalrymple's collection of voyages to the south seas is deficient in nothing but situation this was my chief reason for touching at them the settling this point is the more useful as it will in a great measure fix the situations of Mendana's other discoveries the Marquesas are five in number Viz, La Magdalena, Saint Pedro, La Dominica Santa Cristina and Hoods Island which is the northern most situated in latitude nine degrees 26 minutes south and north 13 degrees west five leagues and a half distance from the east point of La Dominica which is the largest of all the isles extending east and west six leagues it has an unequal breadth and is about 15 or 16 leagues in circuit it is full of rugged hills rising in ridges directly from the sea these ridges are disjoint by deep valleys which are closed with wood as are the sides of some of the hills the aspect however is barren but it is nevertheless inhabited latitude nine degrees 44 minutes 30 seconds south Saint Pedro which is about three leagues in circuit and of a good height lies south four leagues and a half from the east end of La Dominica we know not if it be inhabited nature has not been very bountiful to it Saint Cristina lies under the same parallel three or four leagues more to the west this island stretches north and south is nine miles long in that direction and about seven leagues in circuit a narrow ridge of hills of considerable height extends the whole length of the island there are other ridges which rising from the sea and with an equal ascent join the main ridge these are disjoint by deep narrow valleys which are fertile adorned with fruit and other trees and watered by fine streams of excellent water La Magdalena we only saw at a distance its situation must be nearly in the latitude of 10 degrees 25 minutes longitude 138 degrees 50 minutes so that these isles occupy one degree in latitude and near half a degree in longitude this from 138 degrees 47 minutes to 139 degrees 13 minutes west which is the longitude of the west end of La Dominica the port of Badre de Dios which I named Resolution Bay is situated near the middle of the west side of Saint Cristina and under the highest land in the island in latitude 9 degrees 55 minutes 30 seconds longitude 139 degrees 8 minutes 40 seconds west and north 15 seconds west from the west end of La Dominica the south point of the bay is a steep rock of considerable height terminating at the top in a peaked hill above which you will see a pathway leading up a narrow ridge to the summit of the hills the north point is not so high and rises with a more gentle slope they are a mile from each other in the direction of north by east and south by west in the bay which is near three quarters of a mile deep and it has from 34 to 12 fathoms water with a clean sandy bottom are two sandy coves divided from each other by a rocky point in each is a rivulet of excellent water the northern cove is the most commodious for wooding and watering the waterfall mentioned by Cuiros, Mendana's pilot but the town or village is in the other cove there are several other coves or bays on this side of the island and some of them especially to the north wood may be mistaken for this therefore the best direction is the bearing of the west end of La Dominica the trees, plants and other productions of these isles so far as we know are nearly the same as at Ota Hiti and the society isles the refreshments to be got are hogs, fowls, plantains, yams and some other roots likewise breadfruit and coconuts but of these not many at first these articles were purchased with nails beads looking glasses and such trifles which are so highly valued at the society islands are in no esteem here and even nails at last lost their value for the other articles far less useful the inhabitants of these islands collectively are without exception the finest race of people in this sea for fine shape and regular features they perhaps surpass all other nations nevertheless the affinity of their language to that spoken in Ota Hiti and the society isles shows that they are of the same nation Oedede could converse with them tolerably well though we could not but it was easy to see that their language was nearly the same the men are punctured or curiously tattooed from head to foot the figures are various and seem to be directed more by fancy these punctuations make them look dark but the women who are but little punctured youths and young children who are not at all are as fair as some Europeans the men are in general tall that is about 5 feet 10 inches or 6 feet but I saw none that were fat and lusty like the Iaries of Ota Hiti nor did I see any that could be called Miga their teeth are not so good nor are their eyes so full and lively as those of many other nations their hair like ours is of many colours except red of which I saw none some have it long but the most general custom is to wear it short except a bunch on each side of the crown which they tie in a knot in trimming the beard which is in general long some part it and tied in two bunches under the chin others plait it somewhere it loose and others quite short their clothing is the same as Ota Hiti and made of the same materials but they have it not in such plenty nor is it so good the men for the most part have nothing to cover their nakedness except the Mara as it is called Ota Hiti which is a slip of cloth passed round the waist and betwixt the legs this simple dress is quite sufficient for the climate and answers every purpose modesty requires the dress of the women is a piece of cloth wrapped round the loins like a petticoat which reaches down below the middle of the leg and a loose mantle over their shoulders their principal headdress and what appears to be their chief ornament is a sort of broad fillet curiously made of the fibres of the husk of coconuts in the front is fixed a mother of pearl shell wrought round to the size of a tea saucer before that is another smaller one a very fine tortoise shell perforated into curious figures also before and in the center of that is another round piece of mother of pearl about the size of half a crown and before this another piece of perforated tortoise shell about the size of a shilling besides this decoration in front some have it also on each side but in smaller pieces and all have fixed to them the tail feathers of cocks or tropic birds which when the fillet is tied on stand upright so that the hole together makes a very sightly ornament they wear on the neck a kind of rough or necklace call it witchu please made of light wood the out and upper side covered with small red peas which are fixed on with gum they also wear small bunches of human hair fastened to a string and tied round the arms and legs sometimes instead of hair they make use of short feathers but all the above mentioned ornaments are seldom seen on the same person I saw only the chief who came to visit us completely dressed in this manner their ordinary ornaments are necklaces and amulets made of shells etc I did not see any with earrings and yet all of them had their ears pierced their dwellings are in the valleys and on the sides of the hills near their plantations they are built after the same manner as at Otahiti but are much meaner and only covered with the leaves of the bread tree the most of them are built on a square or oblong pavement of stone raised some height above the level of the ground they likewise have such pavements near their houses on which they sit to eat and amuse themselves in the article of eating these people are by no means so cleanly as the Otahitans they are likewise dirty in their cookery pork and fowls are dressed in an oven of hot stones as at Otahiti but fruit and roots they roast on the fire and after taking off the rind or skin put them into a platter or trough out of which I have seen both men and hogs eat at the same time I once saw them make a batter of fruit and roots diluted with water in a vessel that was loaded with dirt and out of which the hogs had been but that moment eating without giving it the least washing or even washing their hands which were equally dirty and when I expressed the dislike was laughed at I know not if all are so the actions of a few individuals are not sufficient to fix a custom on a whole nation nor can I say if it is the custom for men and women to have separate messes I saw nothing to the contrary indeed I saw but few women upon the whole they seem to have dwellings or strong holes on the summits of the highest hills these we only saw by the help of our glasses for I did not permit any of our people to go there as we were not sufficiently acquainted with the disposition of the natives which, I believe, is humane and pacific their weapons are clubs and spears resembling those of Otahiti but somewhat neater they have also slings with which they throw stones with great velocity and to a good distance but not with a good aim their canoes are made of wood and pieces of the bark of a soft tree which grows near the sea in great plenty and is very tough and proper for the purpose they are from 16 to 20 feet long and about 15 inches broad the head and stern are made of two solid pieces of wood the stern rises or curves a little but in an irregular direction and ends in a point the head projects out horizontally and is carved into some faint and very rude resemblance of a human face they are rode by paddles and some have a sort of latin sail made of matting hunks were the only quadrupeds we saw and cocks and hens the only tame fowls however the woods seem to abound with small birds of a very beautiful plumage with fine notes but the fear of alarming the natives hindered us from shooting so many of them as might otherwise have been done End of Book 2, Chapter 10 Recording by David Cole, Medway, Massachusetts Book 2, Chapter 11 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 11 A description of several islands discovered or seen in the passage from the Marquises to Ota Hiti with an account of a naval review 1774, April With a fine easterly wind I steered south-west, south-west by west and west by south till the 17th at ten o'clock in the morning when land was seen bearing west-a-half north which upon a nearer approach was found to be a string of low islets connected together by a reef of coral rocks We arranged the northwest coast at a distance of one mile from shore to three-quarters of its length which in the whole is near four leagues when we came to a creek or inlet that seemed to open a communication into the lake in the middle of the isle As I wanted to obtain some knowledge of the produce of these half-drowned isles we brought two hoisted out a boat and sent the master into sound there being no soundings without As we ran along the coast the natives appeared in several places armed with lung spears and clubs and some were got together on one side of the creek When the master returned he reported that there was no passage into the lake by the creek which was 50 fathoms wide at the entrance and 30 deep farther in 30 wide and 12 deep that the bottom was everywhere rocky and the sides bounded by a wall of coral rocks We were under no necessity to put the ship into such a place as this but as the natives had shown some signs of a friendly disposition by coming peaceably to the boat and taking such things as were given them I sent two boats well armed ashore under the command of Lieutenant Cooper with a view of having some intercourse with them and to give Mr. Forster an opportunity of collecting something in his way We saw our people land without the least opposition being made by a few natives who were on the shores Some little time after observing 40 or 50 more all armed coming to join them we stood close inshore in order to be ready to support our people in case of an attack but nothing of this kind happened and soon after our boats returned aboard when Mr. Cooper informed me that on his landing only a few of the natives met him on the beach but there were many more in the skirts of the woods with spears in their hands The presents he made them were received with great coolness which plainly showed we were unwelcome visitors When their reinforcement arrived he thought proper to embark as the day was already far spent and I had given orders to an avoid an attack by all possible means When his men got into the boats some were for pushing them off others for detaining them but at last they suffered them to depart at their leisure They brought aboard five dogs which seemed to be in plenty there We saw no fruit but coconuts of which they got by exchanges two dozen One of our people got a dog for a single plantain which led us to conjecture that they had none of this fruit This island which is called by the Inhabitants Tiukia was discovered and visited by Commodore Byron It has something of an oval shape it's about ten leagues in circuit lying in the direction of east south east and west north west and situated in the latitude of 14 degrees 27 minutes 30 seconds south longitude 144 degrees 56 minutes west The inhabitants of this island and perhaps of all the low ones are of a much darker colour than those of the higher islands and seem to be of a more farine disposition This may be owing to their situation Nature not having bestowed her favours to these low islands with that profusion she has done to some of the others The inhabitants are chiefly beholden to the sea for their subsistence consequently are much exposed to the sun and weather and by that means become more dark in colour and more hardy and robust for there is no doubt about their being of the same nation Our people observe that they were stout, well-made men and had the figure of a fish marked on their bodies a very good emblem of their profession On the 18th daybreak after having spent the night snaking short boards we wore down to another isle we had in sight to the west wood which we reached by eight o'clock and ranged the south east side at one mile from shore We found it to be just such another as that we had left extending north east and south west near four leagues and from five to three miles broad It lies south-west by west two leagues distant from the west end of Tiukia and the middle is situated to the latitude of 14 degrees 37 minutes south longitude 145 degrees 10 minutes west These must be the same islands to which Commodore Byron gave the name of George's Islands Their situation in longitude which was determined by lunar observations made near the shores and still further corrected by the difference in longitude carried by the watch to Ota Hiti is three degrees 54 minutes more east than he says they lie This correction I apprehend may be applied to all the islands he discovered After leaving these isles we steered south-south west a half west and south-west by south with a fine easterly gale having signs of the vicinity of land particularly a smooth sea and on the 19th at seven in the morning land was seen to the westward which we bore down to and reached the south-east end by nine o'clock It proved to be another of these half overflowed or drowned islands which are so common in this part of the ocean That is, a number of little isles ranged in a circular form connected together by a reef or wall of coral rock The sea is in general everywhere on their outside unfathomable All their interior parts are covered with water Abounding, I have been told, with fish and turtle on which the inhabitants subsist and sometimes exchange the latter with the high islanders for cloth, etc These inland seas would be excellent harbours were they not shot up from the axis of shipping which is the case with most of them if we can believe the report of the inhabitants of the other isles Indeed, few of them have been well searched by Europeans The little prospect of meeting with fresh water having generally discouraged every attempt of this kind I, who have seen a great many have not yet seen an inlet into one This island is situated in the latitude of 15°26 minutes Longitude 146°20 minutes It is five leagues long in the direction of north northeast and south southwest and about three leagues broad As we drew near the south end we saw from the masthead another of these low islands bearing southeast distant about four or five leagues but being to windward we could not fetch it Soon after a third appeared bearing southwest by south for which we steered and at two o'clock pm reached the east end which is situated in latitude 15°47 minutes south Longitude 146°30 minutes west This island extends west northwest and east southeast and is seven leagues long in that direction but its breadth is not above two It is in all respects like the rest only here are fewer islets and less firm land on the reef which encloses the lake As we ranged the north coast at the distance of half a mile we saw people, huts, canoes and places built seemingly for drying a fish They seemed to be the same sort of people as on Tiukia and were armed with long spikes like them Drawing near the west end we discovered another or fourth island bearing north northeast It seemed to be low like the others and lies west from the first isle Distant six leagues These four isles I called palaces isles in honour of my worthy friend Sir Hugh Palacer at this time Comptroller of the Navy Not choosing to run further in the dark we spent the night making short boards under the top sail and on the 20th at Daybreak hauled round the west end of the third isle which was no sooner done than we found a great swell rolling in from the south a sure sign that we were clear of these low islands and as we saw no more land I steered southwest a half south for Hota Hiti having the advantage of a stout gale at east attended with showers of rain It cannot be determined with any degree of certainty whether the group of isles we had lately seen be any of those discovered by the Dutch navigators or no the situation of their discoveries not being handed down to us with sufficient accuracy it is however necessary to observe that this part of the ocean that is from the latitude of 20 degrees down to 14 degrees or 12 degrees and from the meridian of 138 degrees to 148 or 150 degrees west is so strewn with these low isles that a navigator cannot proceed with too much caution we made the high land of Hota Hiti on the 21st and at noon were about 13 leagues east of Point Venus for which we steered and got pretty well in with it by sunset when we shortened sail and having spent the night which was squally with rain standing on and off at eight o'clock the next morning anchored in Matavai Bay in seven fathoms water this was no sooner known to the natives than many of them made us a visit and expressed not a little joy in seeing us again as my chief reason for putting in at this place was to give Mr. Wales an opportunity to know the error of the watch by the known longitude and to determine a new her rate of going the first thing we did was to land his instruments and to erect tents for the reception of a guard and such other people as it was necessary to have on shore sick we had none the refreshments we had got at the marquises had removed every complaint of that kind on the 23rd showery weather our very good friends the natives supplied us with fruit and fish sufficient for the whole crew on the 24th O2 the King and several other chiefs with a train of attendants paid us a visit and brought as presents ten or a dozen large hogs besides fruits which made them exceedingly welcome I was advertised of the King's coming and looked upon it as a good omen knowing how much it was my interest to make this man my friend I met him at the tents and conducted him and his friends on board in my boat where they stayed dinner after which they were dismissed with suitable presents and highly pleased with the reception they had met with next morning we had much thunder, lightning and rain this did not hinder the King from making me another visit and a present of a large quantity of refreshments it hath been already mentioned that when we were at the island of Amsterdam we had collected amongst other curiosities some red parrot feathers when this was known here all the principal people of both sexes endeavored to ingratiate themselves in our favour by bringing us hogs, fruit and every other thing the island afforded in order to obtain these valuable jewels our having these feathers was a fortunate circumstance for as they were valuable to the natives they became so to us but more especially as my stock of trade was by this time greatly exhausted so that if it had not been for the feathers I should have found it difficult to have supplied the ship with the necessary refreshments when I put in at this island I intended to stay no longer until Mr. Wales had made the necessary observations for the purposes already mentioned thinking we should meet with no better success than we did the last time we were here but the reception we had already met with and the few excursions we had made which did not exceed the plains of Mattavi and Oparí convinced us of our era we found that these two places built in building a great number of large canoes and houses of every kind people living in spacious habitations who had not a place to shelter themselves in eight months before several large hogs about every house and every other sign of a rising state judging from these favorable circumstances that we should not mend ourselves by removing to another island I resolved to make a longer stay and to begin with the repairs of the ship and stores etc accordingly I ordered the empty casks and sails to be got ashore to be repaired the ship to be corked and the rigging to be overhauled all of which the high southern latitudes made indispensably necessary on the morning of the 26th I went down to Oparí accompanied by some of the officers and gentlemen to pay O2 a visit by appointment as we drew near we observed a number of large canoes in motion but we were surprised when we arrived to see upwards of 300 ranged in order for some distance along the shore all completely equipped in manned besides a vast number of armed men upon the shore so unexpected an armament to collect it together in our neighbourhood in the space of one night gave rise to various conjectures we landed however in the midst of them and were received by a vast multitude many of them under arms and many not the cry of the latter was and that of the former this chief we afterwards learned was admiral or commander of the fleet in troops present the moment we landed I was met by a chief whose name was T uncle to the king and one of his prime ministers of whom I inquired for O2 presently after we were met by Toha who received me with great courtesy he took me by the one hand and tea by the other and without my knowing where they intended to carry me dragged me as it were through the crowd that was divided into two parties both of which professed themselves my friends by crying out Tio no tutti one party wanted me to go to O2 and the other to remain with Toha coming to the visual place of audience a matter was spread for me to sit down upon and tea left me to go and bring the king Toha was unwilling I should sit down partially insisting on my going with him but as I knew nothing of this chief I refused to comply presently tea returned and wanted to conduct me to the king taking hold of my hand for that purpose this Toha opposed so that between the one party and the other I was like to have been torn in pieces and was obliged to desire tea to desist and to leave me to the admiral and his party who conducted me down to the fleet as soon as we came before the admiral's vessel we found two lines of armed men drawn up before her to keep off the crowd as I supposed and to clear the way for me to go in but as I was determined not to go I made the water which was between me and her an excuse this did not answer for a man immediately squatted himself down at my feet offering to carry me and then I declared I would not go that very moment Toha quitted me without my seeing which way he went nor would anyone inform me turning myself round I saw tea who I believe had never lost sight of me inquiring of him for the king he told me he was gone into the country and advised me to go to my boat which we accordingly did as soon as we could get collected together for Mr. Edgecombe was the only person who could keep with me the others being jostled about in the crowd in the same manner we had been when we got into our boat we took our time to view this grand fleet the vessels of war consisted of 160 large double canoes very well equipped, manned and armed but I am not sure that they had their full complement of men or rowers I rather think not the chiefs and all those on the fighting stages were dressed in their war habits that is, in a vast quantity of cloth, turbans, breastplates and helmets some of the latter were of such a length as greatly to encumber the wearer indeed, their whole dress seemed to be ill calculated for the day of battle and to be designed more for show than use be this as it may it certainly added grandeur to the prospect as they were so complacent as to show themselves to the best advantage the vessels were decorated with flags, streamers etc so that the whole made a grand and noble appearance such as we had never seen before in this sea and what no one would have expected their instruments of war were clubs, spears and stones the vessels were ranged close alongside of each other with their heads ashore and their stern to the sea the admiral's vessel being nearly in the centre besides the vessels of war there were an 170 sail of smaller double canoes or with a little house upon them and rigged with mast and sail which the war canoes had not these we judged were designed for transport, vitulas etc for in the war canoes was no sort of provisions whatever in these 330 vessels I guess there were no less than 7,760 men a number which appears incredible especially as we were told they all belonged to the districts of Adahoru and Ahopadia in this computation I allowed to each war canoe 40 men, troops and rowers and to each of the small canoes eight most of the gentlemen who were with me thought the number of men belonging to the war canoes exceeded this it is certain that most of them were fitted to row with more paddles than I have allowed the men but at this time I think they were not complete Tupia informed us when I was first here that the whole island raised only between 6,000 and 7,000 men but we now saw two districts only raise that number so that he must have taken his account from some old establishment or else he only meant Tata Tours that is warriors or men trained from their infancy to arms and did not include the rowers and those necessary to navigate the other vessels I should think he only spoke of this number as the standing troops or militia of the island and not their whole force this point I shall leave to be discussed in another place and return to the subject after we had well viewed this fleet I wanted much to have seen the Admore to have gone with him on board the war canoes we inquired for him as we rode past the fleet to no purpose we put ashore and inquired but the noise and crowd was so great that no one attended to what we said at last T came and whispered us in the ear that O2 was gone to Matavai advising us to return thither and not to land where we were we accordingly proceeded for the ship and this intelligence and advice received from T gave rise to new conjectures in short we concluded this Tauhar was some powerful disaffected chief who was upon the point of making war against his sovereign for we could not imagine O2 had any other reason for leaving Opparee in the manner he did we had not been long gone from Opparee before the whole fleet was in motion to the westward from whence it came when we got to Matavai our friends there told us that this fleet was part of the armament intended to go against Aimea whose chief had thrown off the Yokovo Tahiti and assumed an independency we were likewise informed that O2 neither was nor had been at Matavai so that we were still at a loss to know why he fled from Opparee this occasioned another trip thither in the afternoon where we found him and now understood that the reason he is not seeing me in the morning was that some of his people having stolen a quantity of my clothes which were on shore washing he was afraid I should demand restitution he repeatedly asked me if I was not angry and when I assured him that I was not and that they might keep what they had got he was satisfied Toha was alarmed partly on the same account he thought I was displeased when I refused to go aboard his vessel and I was jealous of seeing such a force in our neighbourhood without being able to know anything of its design thus by mistaking one another I lost the opportunity of examining it more narrowly into part of the naval force of this isle and making myself better acquainted with its manoeuvres such another opportunity may never occur as it was commanded by a brave sensible and intelligent chief who would have satisfied us in all the questions we had thought proper to ask and as the objects were before us we could not well have misunderstood each other it happened unluckily that Odidi was not with us in the morning for Ti, who was the only man we could depend on served only to perplex us matters being thus cleared up and mutual presence having passed between O2 and me we took leave and returned on board End of Book 2, Chapter 11 Recording by David Cole, Midway, Massachusetts