Captain Cook: His Life, Voyages, and Discoveries

by William Henry Giles Kingston

The natives on most occasions were ready to steal and cheat, whenever they thought they could do so with impunity. This occurred nearly every day as the Endeavour proceeded along the coast. In one day, at different times, nearly five hundred natives were on board or alongside, showing that the country was very populous. One of these was making off with an article of which he had possessed himself without giving anything in return, when the midshipman to whom it belonged hove a lead with a hook secured to it at the end of a line, with such aim that the hook caught the thief, but broke off. While at anchor in another part of this bay, which is known as the Bay of Islands, the commander gave a piece of cloth to an old chief, one of several hundred natives crowding round the ship. Notwithstanding this, some of them tried to steal the buoy, and not till one of them was hit by a musket-ball would they give it up. After this, the commander, with Mr Banks, Dr Solander, and two boats’ crews, landed in a little cove. They had not been there long, before they saw nearly three hundred people rushing towards them from behind the heads of the cove, and over the top of the hill. Some of the savages rushed to the boats to seize them, and others, led by a chief, advanced towards the English. The commander, Mr Banks, and two of the man fired with small shot. The natives, though at first they fell back, soon again rallied and advanced. On this Dr Solander fired again, and hit the chief, who, with the rest, ran off. The natives still continued in a body, and, as seen from the ship, appeared very numerous. A few round shot fired over their heads dispersed them. Happily not a single life was lost, and only two men were slightly wounded. As it happened, the old chief to whom the cloth had been given in the morning had, with some of his family, concealed himself in a cave. While the party were collecting celery he was discovered, and was soon put at his ease. He said that one of the men who had been hit with small shot was his brother, and inquired anxiously whether he would die. He was assured that he would not; and a bullet and small shot being shown to him, he was told that those who were hit with the first would die, but that the wounds made by the last were seldom mortal. He and his companions now came and sat down by the English, who gave them a few trifles.

Several days were passed in the Bay of Islands, and a friendly intercourse was maintained during the remainder of the time with the natives. On going out of it the ship grazed a rock to windward of her with great violence, but received no injury. This part of the country was evidently very densely inhabited; and the people seemed to live on friendly terms with each other, though no head or leading chief was heard of. Fishing seemed to be one of their principal occupations, and nets of great length were seen—one of not less than from three to four hundred fathoms. Their towns were all fortified. Farther on, while becalmed, some people who came off told the voyagers that at the distance of three days’ rowing the land would take a sharp turn to the south, and extend no more to the west. It was conjectured, therefore, that this headland was one seen by Tasman, and called by him Cape Maria Van Diemen; and an eager lookout was kept for the important headland.

At six in the morning on December 16 land was seen from the mast-head, which proved to be North Cape. It lies in latitude 34 degrees 22 minutes South, and longitude 186 degrees 55 minutes West. The isthmus which joins this head to the mainland is low, which gives it the appearance of an island. On the cape a hippah, or village, was seen, with several inhabitants. Soon after this, when off Cape Maria Van Diemen, the Endeavour met with a gale which, though it was in the middle of the summer of that hemisphere, Captain Cook says, for its strength, and the length of time it lasted, was such as he had scarcely ever been in before. The ship was three weeks getting ten leagues to the westward, and five weeks in getting fifty leagues. During the gale the ship was a considerable distance from the land, or it is highly probable, he says, they would not have returned to relate their adventures.

It is not necessary to mention the various courses run for several days, as no communication was held with the shore. At length a lofty peak was seen towering above the clouds, and covered with snow, to which the name of Mount Egmont was given. It was surrounded by a flat country of a pleasant appearance, being clothed with verdure and wood. Near it a bay was entered, in a safe and convenient cove of which the ship anchored. Some canoes at once paddled off, and much against the wishes of his people, an old chief from one of them came on board. He was received with all possible friendship, and after some time was dismissed, with many expressions of kindness, to his companions. This treatment had a beneficial effect, though some of the natives showed an inclination to try how far they might go with the strangers. On one occasion they pursued the long-boat as it was going on shore with casks; but some small shot quickly made them desist.

The bay where they were at anchor was found to be about fifteen miles south of one visited by Tasman, though none of the people among whom Tupia made inquiries had any tradition of his having been on the coast. The commander, with Mr Banks, Dr Solander, and others, on their way one day to visit a cove two miles off, saw the body of a woman floating, having apparently been dead for some days. Immediately on landing they found a family who seemed greatly alarmed at their approach, and ran away. In a short time, however, they were induced to return, and confidence being established, became very communicative. The body of the woman was that of a relation whom they had buried at sea fastened to a stone, from which they supposed it had broken. The family were dressing some provisions, and as the gentlemen cast their eyes into one of the baskets which stood near, two bones were perceived, which, upon nearer examination, were found to be those of a human body. The natives, on being questioned by Tupia, acknowledged, without the slightest hesitation, that they were the bones of a man whom they had eaten; that a canoe belonging to their enemies had come into the bay five days before; that seven persons in her had been killed, and that this man was one of them. On Tupia asking why they did not eat the body of the woman, they replied that she was a relation, and that they only eat the bodies of their enemies killed in battle. One of the natives took hold of his own forearm, and intimated that the bone Mr Banks held in his hand had belonged to that part of the human body; he also bit and gnawed the bone which Mr Banks had taken, drawing it through his mouth, and showing by signs that it had afforded a delicious repast. A woman of this family of cannibals had her arms, legs, and thighs frightfully cut, in token of her grief for the loss of her husband, who had lately been killed and eaten by their enemies.

Mr Banks and Dr Solander were several times on shore, but their walks were much circumscribed by climbing plants of luxuriant growth, which completely filled up the spaces between the trees, so as to render the woods impassable. Preparations had been made for erecting a durable memorial of the Endeavour’s visit, and their old friend promised that it should never be removed. Presents of coins and spike-nails, with the king’s broad arrow on them, were given to the natives, and two posts, of which the memorial was to be constructed, were taken to the highest part of the island near which the ship lay. The Union-Jack was then hoisted, and formal possession was taken of the country in the name of His Majesty King George the Third; the name of Queen Charlotte’s Sound being given to the inlet. A bottle of wine was then drunk to Her Majesty’s health, and the empty bottle given to the old man, who seemed highly delighted with it.

The Endeavour left the sound on February 6, and soon after, during a calm, was very nearly driven on shore by the strong current setting through the straits between the northern and middle island, now known as Cook’s Straits. Over the land was seen a mountain of stupendous height, covered with snow. Passing through the straits, the Endeavour steered north again, and continued on till, the weather clearing, Cape Turnagain was distinctly seen. Captain Cook on this asked his officers whether they were satisfied that Eaheinomauwe was an island. They replying in the affirmative, the Endeavour hauled her wind and stood to the eastward. Eaheinoniauwe was the name given by the natives to the northern island, Poenammoo to the southern, or rather, as it is now called, the middle island.

The Endeavour was now steered down the eastern coast of the last-named portion of New Zealand. Some lofty mountains were seen, partially covered with snow, and inferior in height to Mount Egmont. During a calm, when close in shore, Mr Banks went out in a small boat for the purpose of shooting. While he was away four double canoes were seen to put off from the shore, and to pull towards him. Captain Cook trembled for his friend’s safety, for Mr Banks could not see the signals made to hasten his return. At length he noticed the natives, and his boat’s head was turned towards the ship. The natives also approached. He, however, got on board before them, thankful for his escape. Probably, indeed, their attention had been so engrossed with the ship that they had not seen him. When they came about a stone’s throw off, they stopped and gazed at the ship with vacant astonishment; but even Tupia’s eloquence could not induce them to come on board. After surveying the ship, they made towards the shore, but it was dark before they could have reached it. This was the only sight Captain Cook had of the inhabitants of the middle island, or Tovy Poenammoo.

An island about twenty-four leagues in circumference, and five leagues from the main, was discovered, to which the name of Banks’s Island was given. Some persons on board asserting that they saw land to the south-east, the commander, though believing that they were mistaken, steered in that direction; but no land being discovered, the ship wore, and was steered east-south-east. Tovy Poenammoo was found to be very much larger than Captain Cook expected to find it, from the description of the natives in Queen Charlotte’s Sound. Heavy gales and rough seas were encountered, and on one occasion, at dawn, rocks were seen close under the ship’s bows, she having in the night passed close to another dangerous reef, some leagues from the main. The land discovered appeared green and well wooded, but destitute of inhabitants. Several whales and seals were observed, whereas none had been seen off the north island. At length, on March 5, the South Cape was rounded. At the time Captain Cook was doubtful whether it was part of the large island or a separate island, though he marked it in his chart as the former. Nothing of importance occurred during the passage back to the entrance of Cook’s Straits, on the northern shore of which, in a bay called Admiralty, the Endeavour again anchored, that she might fill up with wood and water. This was accomplished by March 31, 1770, when a course was shaped by which it was hoped the eastern coast of New Holland would be reached. It was intended, after visiting that coast, to return home by the East Indies and the Cape of Good Hope. Captain Cook himself had wished to return by Cape Horn, with the view of settling the question of a great southern continent; but the ship was deemed unfit to brave the tempests to be expected in a high southern latitude in the most inclement season of the year. The name of Cape Farewell was given to the last point of land seen as the Endeavour quitted the coast of New Zealand. The manners and customs of the inhabitants, as well as the features of New Zealand, are now almost as well-known as those of any country in Europe, and we are able to judge of the extraordinary accuracy of all Captain Cook’s descriptions whenever he had an opportunity of observing them.

Cape Farewell was left on March 31, and the Endeavour sailed westward. Nine days afterwards a tropical bird was seen, and on the 15th the voyagers caught sight of an egg-bird and a gannet; and as these birds never fly far from land, the lead was constantly heaved through the night. No bottom, however, was found; and it was not till six o’clock on the morning of April 19 that land was seen by Mr Hicks, the first lieutenant. This land proved to be part of the vast country of New Holland, since better known as Australia. The coast first seen was that of New South Wales.