Off the southern point of Amsterdam several canoes came out, and their occupants came aboard without hesitation, presenting cava root as a peace-offering. The ships anchored in eighteen fathoms, and were soon crowded with visitors. Nothing but cloth was offered for sale, so Cook, finding the sailors were parting with clothing they would soon be wanting, issued an order that no curiosities were to be purchased, with the result that next morning hogs, fowls, coconuts, and bananas were forthcoming. Cook, Forster, and some of the others went ashore and found a chief, Attago, who had attached himself to Cook, very useful in their trading. Mr. Hodges painted a picture of this landing, but, as Mr. Forster very justly points out, the attire of the natives is far too classical. It was noticed that many of the natives had lost the top joint of the little finger of one, and in some cases, of both hands. This was understood to be a mark of mourning for the loss of parents.
The fowls here were remarkably good, and the sailors purchased some for the purpose of cock-fighting, but they proved much more successful in the pot. The island is described as well cultivated, not an inch of ground being wasted in roads or fences. Forster reported having seen a large casuarina tree loaded with crows, but they proved to be that pest of the fruit grower—flying foxes. He also states that the Resolution anchored in the same spot as Tasman when he discovered the island.
The natives proved as adept at thieving as the majority of the South Sea Islanders. One man, who had stolen some books from the Master's cabin, got off in his canoe, and being chased, took to the water, and diving under his pursuers' boat, unshipped the rudder, and got clear away. Mr. Wales, in going ashore, took off his shoes and stockings to save them from the wet, when they were at once snatched up by a native, who ran off with them over the coral rocks, leaving poor Wales in what Cook calls "an unpleasant but laughable position," unable to follow over the sharp stone; however, Attago soon afterwards recovered them.
The language was closely allied to that used in the Society Group, many words being identical; and Cook concluded they had some form of religious worship, as he noted enclosed pieces of ground in which one or two particular men were accustomed to repeat speeches apparently of a set nature.
NEW ZEALAND ONCE MORE.
On 7th October, sailing for New Zealand, they were delayed by contrary winds, and did not sight the neighbourhood of Table Cape till the 21st. They stood in to Tolago and Poverty Bays with the intention of presenting any chiefs who came off, with pigs, fowls, and garden seeds in hopes of making a commencement in stocking the island, but none were seen till Cape Kidnappers was reached, when two made their appearance, and were duly given two boars and two sows, and four hens and two cocks, first obtaining a promise that they should not be killed; to these were added a supply of seeds, such as peas, beans, cabbage, turnips, etc. Standing on through a series of heavy squalls, in one of which the Resolution lost her fore topgallant mast, they ran into a violent gale which lasted for a week, and, after a slight moderation, came on with increased fury, and the two vessels parted company.
On 3rd November the Resolution reached her old anchorage in Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte's Sound; but the Adventure was seen no more during the voyage. Forster was much upset by the stormy weather, "the dreadful energy of the language" of the sailors, the absence of their consort which "doubled every danger," the shortness of the table supplies and his own dislike to a further trip to southern latitudes. Hoping the Adventure might yet come in, Cook pushed on with his refit, and thoroughly overhauled his stores. About 4000 pounds weight of ship's bread was found unfit for food, and another 3000 pounds nearly as bad; they were very fortunate, therefore, in getting a plentiful supply of scurvy grass and wild celery, and a small quantity of vegetables from the gardens they had previously laid out.
Any doubts that may have been felt about the cannibalism of the New Zealanders was set at rest by some of the officers who surprised a party engaged in a feast. A human head was purchased from the feasters and taken on board, and a piece of the flesh being offered to a Maori, it was greedily devoured. A South Sea Islander, Odidie, was intensely horrified, and refused to touch the knife with which it had been cut, nor would he be in any way friendly with the eater. Cook firmly believed that only enemies killed in battle were eaten, and did not think the custom arose from any shortness of food.
Enclosing in a bottle, which was buried under a marked tree in the garden, a memorandum giving the dates of his arrival and departure, the direction he intended to steer, and other information he thought might be useful to Furneaux, Cook sailed on 25th November, and as they passed through the straits, guns were continually fired, and a sharp lookout kept for signs of the Adventure; but nothing was seen, and as no other rendezvous had been appointed, Cook gave up all hope of her rejoining him. The Resolution, when clear, bore up for the south-east, but had the course at the first been north of east, the two ships might possibly have met, for the Adventure was then on her way from Tolago Bay and arrived in Ship Cove four days after the departure of her consort. Cook says his crew were in good spirits, and in no way dejected, "or thought the dangers we had yet to go through were in the least increased by being alone." They were quite ready to go, "wherever I might think proper to lead them." Even Mr. Forster had to admit at a little later date, that:
"notwithstanding the constant perils to which our course exposed us, in this unexplored ocean, our ship's company were far from being so uneasy as might have been expected."