Chapter Twenty Seven.
Captain Cook’s third voyage—A.D. 1776.
A third voyage planned—The Resolution and Discovery commissioned—Expedition sails—Omai taken on board—Touch at the Cape of Good Hope—Van Diemen’s Land—New Zealand—The Friendly or Tonga Islands reached—Acquaintance formed with Feenon—His treacherous designs—Cook’s determined conduct checks the natives—Visits Otaheite—Omai shows his true character—Astonishment of natives on seeing horses ridden—Omai landed at Huaheine with his property—His bad conduct and wretched fate—Desertions at Ulietea—Live stock landed—Bolabola and other islands visited—Unknown islands sighted—Cook lands—Natives receive him with deep respect—Assist the watering party—Name of Sandwich Islands given to the group—Ships proceed to coast of America—Natives come off at Nootka Sound—Anchor in Prince William’s Sound—The ships enter Behring’s Straits—Turned back by the ice—Anchor off Oonalaska—Kind behaviour of the Russian authorities—The expedition returns to the Sandwich Islands—Sail round them, and come to an anchor in Karakavoa Bay—Vast numbers of natives come off—Cook supposed to be their god Rono—Honours paid to him—Ceremonies at a temple—Ships put to sea—Compelled to return—Temper of the natives changed—Attempts to coerce them—Death of Captain Cook and several men—His character—Captain Clerke succeeds, and makes peace with the natives—Ships sail in search of a passage round America—Touch at Saint Peter and Saint Paul—Courtesy of the Russians—Ships again compelled to return by the ice—Death of Captain Clerke—Captain Gore takes command—Sails for Macaohigh price obtained for seal-skins—Commanders of French ships ordered to treat the Adventure and Resolution as neutrals—Touch at the Cape of Good Hope—Steer round Scotland, and reach the Nore 4th of October, 1780—Remarks on Captain Cook’s discoveries—Notice of his family.
It had long been the desire of scientific men to discover a passage round the north coast of America between the Atlantic and Pacific. In 1773, Captain Phipps, afterwards Lord Mulgrave, went to Baffin’s Bay, but had returned without making any important discovery. At a dinner at the house of Lord Sandwich, to which Sir Hugh Palliser, Mr Stevens, Secretary to the Admiralty, and Captain Cook had been invited, the importance of the design was under discussion, when Cook, although he might justly have enjoyed quiet and repose, volunteered to command any expedition which might be undertaken. His offer was accepted. He was at once appointed to the command of the Resolution, and Captain Clerke, who had been with him on each of his previous voyages, received orders to commission the Discovery, a vessel of three hundred tons, fitted out as the Adventure had been. The ships were ready early in July, 1776. Everything that could tend to preserve the health of the crews was put on board,—warm clothing, as well as numerous animals, garden seeds of all sorts, and iron tools to traffic with the natives, while many things, purely for the benefit of the people, were to be supplied. The chief object of the voyage was to find a passage from the Pacific into the Atlantic; but the Society Islands and other spots were to be visited on the way. The young savage Omai, who had been petted and made a lion of in London, but whose advancement in civilisation was entirely superficial, and who had imbibed no religious principles, was to be restored to his country, under the foolish notion that he would convey to the islanders of the Pacific an exalted idea of the “greatness and majesty of the British nation,” as a writer of the day expresses it.
A very brief sketch of this voyage can alone be given. The two ships sailed from Plymouth on the 12th of July, 1776, and reached the Cape of Good Hope on the 10th of November. Again sailing on the 3rd of December, they sighted Marion and the Crozet Islands, and coasted along Kerguelen’s Land, which was found to be an island, desolate and sterile in the extreme. On the 24th of January they anchored in Adventure Bay, on the coast of Van Diemen’s Land. A few natives appeared, whose only weapons were pointed sticks, and who were black and perfectly naked. Sailing on the 30th of January, the ships reached Queen Charlotte’s Sound in New Zealand on the 12th of the next month. The natives were somewhat shy, fearing that Cook had come to punish them for the murder of the boat’s crew belonging to the Adventure. Some of those who had not taken part in it urged him to do so; but, as he remarks, “the natives of one part were constantly requesting him to destroy their neighbours—indeed, the tribes were living in a state of warfare among each other.”
Leaving Queen Charlotte’s Sound, Mangeea was reached, a pleasing fertile island, and beyond it another called Wateea, a spot of great beauty, diversified by hills and plains. The inhabitants were in general remarkably handsome, and were of the same race as those of the Society Islands. Thence a course was steered for Hervey Island, seen on the previous voyage. Though then supposed not to be inhabited, several canoes came off, carrying men of a somewhat darker hue and a more fierce and warlike aspect than the natives of Mangeea, though probably of the same race.
On the passage to the Friendly Islands, the ships called off Palmerston Island, where scurvy-grass, palm-cabbages, and fodder for the animals and birds, and cocoa-nuts for the crew, were obtained.
Passing Savage Island on the 1st of May, they dropped anchor at Annamooka. Here Cook made the acquaintance of Feenon, who, though then only a tributary, afterwards became lord of the whole group. By his means an abundant supply of provisions of all sorts was obtained. Feenon and another chief, Omai, accompanied him to Hapai, belonging to the same archipelago. Here Cook accompanied them on shore, and a large concourse of people, numbering three thousand, assembled, whom the chief addressed, urging them to bring such provisions as were required.
They were entertained with various games, such as wrestling and pugilistic matches. Some warriors engaged in a succession of single combats, in which they fought with clubs. Cook, on landing, suspected from the behaviour of the chiefs that something more than ordinary was in agitation. In fact, friendly as they appeared, they had formed a plot, instigated by Feenon, to massacre their visitors and take possession of their ships, as they did some years afterwards of the vessel in which Mr Mariner sailed. Fortunately, disputes arose amongst the conspirators, and they either abandoned or put off their design. Feenon, notwithstanding his intended treachery, accompanied their other visitors on board ship, and dined with the captain. Afterwards he sent a present of two large hogs, some yams, and a considerable quantity of cloth. Notwithstanding this apparently friendly intercourse, the natives, who came on board in considerable numbers, stole whenever they had an opportunity. At length, to put a stop to this, Cook seized three canoes which were alongside, and then going ashore with a strong guard, and having found the King, his brother Feenon, and some other chiefs in a house, immediately placed a guard over them, and made them understand that until the things were returned they must remain under restraint. This had the desired effect, and most of the articles were brought back. Cook then invited the King and other chiefs to accompany him on board to dinner. The King set the example, although the others at first objected, and in a short time the remainder of the things were brought back.