fome of their boys, went up to a few small houses which they faw at a little distance. Taking the advantage of their abfence from the boat, fome of the natives, who had concealed themselves behind the bushes, fuddenly rushed out, and ran towards it, brandishing the long wooden lances which they had in their hands in a threatening manner. The cockswain fired a musquetoon over their heads, which did not seem to intimidate them; he then fired a fecond time over their heads, but with no better effect; alarmed at the fituation of the boat, as they were now got near enough to discharge their lances at it, the cockfwain levelled his piece at them, and shot one man dead on the spot. Struck with astonishment at the fall of their companion, they retreated to the woods with the utmost precipitation. The report of the gun foon brought the advanced party back to the boats, and both the pinnace and the yawl immediately returned to the fhip. On Monday the 9th, in the morning, a great number of the natives were seen near the place where the gentlemen in the yawl had landed the preceding evening, and the greatest part of them appeared to be unarmed. The long-boat, pinnace, and yawl, being ordered out, and manned with marines and failors, Captain Cook, together with Mr. Banks, the rest of the gentlemen and Tupia went on fhore, and landed on the oppofite fide of the river, over against feveral Indians who were fitting on the ground. They started up as foon as the gentlemen began to land, and their intentions appeared very hoftile, brandifhing their weapons in the ufual threatening manner; upon which a mufket was fired at fome distance from them, at the effect of which, the ball happening to strike the water, they appeared rather terrified, and defifted from their menaces. The marines being drawn up, the captain, with four or five of the gentlemen and Tupia, advanced nearer to the fide of the river; Tupia fpoke to them, and informed them, that they wanted to traffic with them for provifions. They readily confented to trade, and requested the English gentlemen to cross the river and come over to them; which was agreed to, upon condition that the natives would quit their weapons; but this the most folemn affurances of friendship could not prevail on them to comply with. The gentlemen in their turn intreated the Indians to come over to them, which after fome time they prevailed on one of them to do; he was presently followed by several others, bringing their weapons with them. They did not appear to fet any great value on the beads, iron, &c. which was presented to them, nor would they give any thing in return, but propofed to exchange their weapons for those belonging to the English, which being confequently objected to, they endeavoured feveral times to fnatch them out of their hands. But their attempts to feize the arms were repeatedly fruftrated, and Tupia, by direction of the gentlemen, gave them notice, that any further offer of violence would be punished with instant death. One of them had, ne vertheless, the audacity to fnatch Mr. Green's hanger, and retiring a few paces, flourifhed it over his head; he, however, paid for his temerity with his life, Mr. Monkhouse firing at him with a inufquet loaded with ball; and that gentleman afterwards, with great difficulty recovered the hanger, one of the Indians endeavouring to feize it. This behaviour of the natives, added to the want of fresh water, induced Captain Cook to continue his course round the head of the bay. He was still in hopes of getting fome of the Indians on board, and by prefents added to civil ufage, convey through them a favourable idea of the English to their fellow-countrymen; and thereby fettle a good correspondence with them. Soon after an event occurred, though attended with disagreeable circumstances, that promised to facilitate this defign. Two canoes appeared making towards land, and Captain Cook propofed intercepting them with his boats. One of them got clear off, but the Indians in the other, finding it impoffible to escape the boats, began to attack them with their paddles: this compelled the Endeavour's people to fire upon them, when four of the Indians were killed, and the other three, who were youths, jumped into the water, and endeavoured to swim to fhore: they were however taken up and brought on board. They were at first greatly terrified, thinking they fhould be killed; but Tupia, by repeated affurances of friendship, removed their fears, and they afterwards eat very heartily of the fhip's provifions. When they retired to reft, in the evening, they appeared perfectly eafy in their minds, and flept very quietly. The next morning, after they were dreffed and ornamented, according to the mode of the country, with necklaces and bracelets, Captain Cook proposed setting them on fhore, that they might give a favourable report to their countrymen of the reception they had met with. They teftified much fatisfaction when told they were going to be released; the names of these boys were Taahourange, Koikerange, and Maragovete. They informed Captain Cook, that there was a particular kind of deer upon the island, likewife taro, eapes, romara, yams, a kind of long pepper, bald coote, and black birds. On the 11th Captain Cook fet fail, in hopes of finding a better anchoring place, after giving this bay (called by the natives Toaneora) the name of Poverty Bay; and the fouth.weft point he called Young Nick's Head, on account of its being firit perceived by a lad on board named Nicholas Young. Captain Cook gave the name of Cape Table to a point of land about feven leagues to the fouth of Poverty Bay, its figure greatly refembling a table; and the island, called by the natives Teahowry, he named Portland Island, it being very fimilar to that of the fame name in the British Channel. On the 12th feveral Indians came off in a canoe; they were disfigured in a strange manner, danced and fung, and appeared at times to be peaceably inclined, at others to menace hoftilities; but notwithstanding Tupia ftrongly invited them to come on board, none of them would quit the canoe. Whilft the Endeavour was getting clear of the fhambles, five canoes full of Indians came off, and feemed to threaten the people on board, by brandifhing their lances, and other hoftile geftures; a four pounder, loaded with grape-fhot, was therefore ordered to be fired, but not pointed at them. This had the defired effect, and made them drop aftern. Next morning nine canoes full of Indians came from the fhore, and five of them, after having confulted together, purfued the Endeavour, apparently with a hoftile defign. Tupia was defired to acquaint them that immediate deftruction would enfue, if they perfevered in their attempts; but words had no influence, and a four pounder, with grape fhot, was fired, to give them fome notion of the arms of their opponents. They were terrified at this kind of reafoning, and paddled away fafter than they came. The following day, Sunday the 15th, in the afternoon, a large canoe, with a number of armed Indians, came up, and one of them, who was remarkably clothed with a black skin, found means to defraud the captain of a piece of red baize, under pretence of bartering the skin he had on for it. As foon as he had got the baize into his poffeflion, instead of giving the fkin in return, agreeable to his bargain, he rolled them up together, and ordered the canoe to put off from the fhip, turning a deaf ear to the repeated remonftrances of the captain against his unjust behaviour. After a fhort time this canoe, together with the fishing-boats which had put off at the fame time, came back to the fhip, and trade was again begun. During this fecond traffic with the Indians, one of them unexpectedly feized Tupia's little boy Tayota, and pulling him him into his canoe, inftantly put her off, and paddled away with the utmost speed; feveral mufquets were immediately discharged at the people in the canoe, and one of them receiving a wound, they all let go the boy, who before was held down in the bottom of the canoe. Tayota, taking the advantage of their confternation, immediately jumped into the fea, and fwam back towards the Endeavour. He was taken on board without having received any harm; but his ftrength was fo much exhausted with the weight of his clothes, that it was with great difficulty he reached the fhip. In confequence of this attempt to carry off Tayota, Captain Cook called the cape off which it happened Cape Kidnappers. Its diftance from Portland Island is about thirteen leagues, forming the fouth point of a bay, which the captain named Hawke's Bay, in honour of Sir Edward, who then prefided at the Admiralty board. As every circumftance that tends to elucidate the manners and customs of these people must attract the attention of the curious reader, we cannot omit Tayota's behaviour upon recovering from his fright, occafioned by his being kidnapped. He produced a fifh, and acquainted Tupia, that he defigned to make an offering of it to his God, or Eatua, as a teftimonial of his gratitude for his deliverance. Tupia approved of his intention, and by his direction the fish was caft into the fea. This is an evident proof, that even these unenlightened favages, by the mere impulfe of nature, believe in the existence of a particular providence. The Endeavour now paffed a small island, white and high, fuppofed to be inhabited only by fishermen, as it appeared quite barren, and was named Bare Ifland. On the 17th, Captain Cook gave the name of Cape Turnagain to a head-land. This cape is remarkable for a ftratum of clay of a bright brown colour; its prominence gradually diminishes towards the north fide, but to the fouth its descent is not fo regular. The land between this cape and Kidnapper's Bay is unequal, and resembles the high downs of England. There appeared numerous inhabitants, and several villages. Wednesday the 18th, the Endeavour came abreast of a peninsula in Portland Island, named Terakako, when a canoe with five Indians came up to the fhip. Two chiefs who were in this canoe came aboard, where they remained all night, and were treated with great civility. The chiefs would neither eat nor drink, but the fervants made up for their masters' abftinence by their voracious appetites. The three boys had given thefe natives an account of the hospitality and liberality of the English, which had prevailed upon them to pay this vifit. Thursday the 19th, the Endeavour paffed a remarkable head-land, which Captain Cook named Gable-End Foreland. It is diftinguished by a rock, in the fhape of a church fpire, which is very near it. Here three canoes came up, and one Indian came on board; he received fome fmall prefents, and retired to his companions. He wore a new garment of white filky flax, with a border of black, red, and white. Many of the Indians had pieces of green stone round their necks, by way of necklaces; they were transparent, like an emerald, and appeared, on examination, to be a fpecies of nephritic ftone, of which all their ornaments of this kind confifted. Mr. Banks and the other gentlemen obtained feveral pieces of it. On the 20th they anchored in a bay, about two leagues to the north of the foreland. The natives in canoes invited them hither, and behaved very amicably. There appeared to be two chiefs, who came on board. They received prefents of linen, which gave them much fatisfaction; but they did not hold fpike-nails in fuch estimation as the inhabitants of fome of the other islands. The captain, Mr. Banks, and Dr. Solander, went on fhore, and were courteously received by the inhabitants, who did not appear in numerous bodies to avoid giving offence. The captain had the pleasure to find fresh water |
