Captain Cook: His Life, Voyages, and Discoveries

by William Henry Giles Kingston

extraordinary respect; that some, when they approached him, fell on their faces, and put their heads between their feet, and that no one presumed to pass him without permission. When, however, Captain Cook saw the monarch, he took him for an idiot, from his stolid or sullen manner. On being spoken to, he neither answered nor altered a feature of his countenance, and even when a shirt was put on him, and other articles were placed by his side, he neither lifted an arm of his own accord, nor put out his hand to receive them. Probably, however, this manner was assumed, as adding, in his opinion, to his dignity, as he was afterwards caught laughing at something Attago said to him.

During the whole time of their stay at this island, Attago had proved himself of great use to Captain Cook and his companions. He had presented himself on board the captain’s ship every morning, and did not quit his side till dark. On the departure of the ships he earnestly pressed the captain to return, and to bring cloth and axes, promising hogs, fowls, fruit, and roots in abundance. He asked also, for himself, a uniform similar to that worn by the captain. Among other presents made by Cook to this friendly chief were two dogs, as there were none at that time in the island; indeed, pigs appear to have been the only four-footed animals in the possession of the inhabitants, although they knew of the existence of dogs. Besides fowls, there were pigeons, doves, parrots, and other birds. The whole island was thoroughly cultivated, and produced bread-fruit, cocoanut trees, plantains, bananas, shaddocks, yams, and other roots, the sugar-cane, and a fruit like a nectarine. The roads also were so well laid out that there was an easy communication from one part of the island to the other in every direction. There were no towns or villages, but most of the houses stood in the midst of plantations. They were neatly constructed, but not much superior to those of the Society Islands. The floor, however, was slightly raised, and covered with thick mats; the same sort of matting serving to enclose them on the weather side, while on the opposite they were left open.

The ingenuity of this people was more especially exhibited in the construction of their canoes, which were superior to any that had been seen in the Pacific, though their tools were made of stone, bone, or shells, like those of the other islanders. The canoes are built of several pieces, sewed together in so neat a manner that on the outside no join could be seen. They were of two kinds, double and single. The single were from twenty to thirty feet long, and twenty-two inches broad in the middle, with wedge-shaped heads and sterns, and decked over at both ends, leaving only a third part open. They had outriggers, and some few carried sails, but were generally impelled by short paddles, the blades of which were broadest in the middle. The double canoes were composed of two vessels, each from sixty to seventy feet long, and four or five broad in the middle, and sharp at each end. They were fastened together by strong beams placed across their gunwales, which were raised for that purpose, and they were kept about seven feet apart. A platform of boards was placed on these beams, and served as a deck. They were very strongly built, and as the canoes themselves were also decked over, they might be immersed to the very platform without sinking. On the platform was a hut, serving as a cabin for the crew, and there was a hatchway through the platform into the hulls by which the water was baled out. The canoes also carried, as a movable fire-hearth, a square, shallow trough of wood, filled with stones. They were rigged with one mast, which could be easily lowered, and had a lateen sail of matting, stretched on a long, slightly-bent yard, which could be quickly shifted round when beating to windward. These vessels were capable of making long voyages, and the Tonga islanders were in the habit of going to Fejee, where they built canoes for the natives, and had probably extended their voyages to the Navigators’ Group, and possibly to New Zealand itself. Indeed, when these vessels are seen, there is no difficulty in understanding the means by which so large a number of the islands of the Pacific have been peopled by the same race, some retaining a portion of the civilisation their ancestors possessed, others losing it altogether.

The natives of Tonga were slightly tattooed, and their natural complexion was of a light copper colour. The size of both men and women was that of ordinary Europeans. The dress of both sexes consisted of a piece of cloth or matting, wrapped round the waist and hanging below the knees, while their shoulders and arms were uncovered, and usually anointed. They wore their hair short, and had ornaments in the form of necklaces, bracelets, and finger-rings, made of bone, shells, or mother-of-pearl. Their cloth was of the same material as that of Otaheite, but coarser and more durable, because glazed so as to resist the rain. They used vegetable dyes of various colours—brown, purple, yellow, red, and black. Their baskets, made of the same material as their mats, were very beautiful. They had different kinds of musical instruments: one of these was a sort of flute, which was made resonant by the breath of the nostril; another was similar to Pandean pipes, and composed of reeds; and a third was a drum made out of a heavy log. Their mode of saluting was like that of the New Zealanders, by rubbing noses together; and when anything was presented to them, they put it on their heads as a sign of its being accepted.

The government of the country was vested in a great chief or king, called the Areeke; and there were other chiefs under him, as governors of districts. It seemed pretty evident to the voyagers that the land of the island was apportioned among certain dignitaries, for whom the rest of the community worked, either as free labourers or slaves. When purchases were made by the English, although the collected goods were brought to market by a number of natives, one person uniformly received payment, and no bargain was struck without his consent.

Captain Cook was unable to obtain information respecting the religion of the people, excepting that he saw their temples and tombs in his excursions through the island. It was observed, however, that nearly all the adults had lost the little finger of one hand, some of both hands, and it was conjectured that the amputation was made at the death of parents or other relations. The people also burnt incisions in their cheeks, near the cheek-bone, probably also as a sign of mourning for the dead.

The expedition sailed from Tongatabu on October 7, Captain Cook’s last act being to send off by a canoe, to his friend Attago, some wheat, peas, and beans, which he had neglected to give him with other seeds. A course was then shaped for Queen Charlotte’s Sound, in New Zealand, there to take in wood and water; the commander intending afterwards to continue his discoveries to the south and east. The next day the lofty island of Pilstart was seen. It lies thirty-two leagues south by west from the south end of Eua. On the 21st the north end of New Zealand was made, and the ships ran down the east coast for the purpose of communicating with the natives, Captain Cook being very anxious to give them seeds and animals with which to stock the country. He had, however, no opportunity of doing this till he reached Cape Kidnappers, when a canoe came off with two men, who, by their dress and behaviour, appeared to be chiefs. To the principal of these, pigs, fowls, seeds, and roots were given, and a promise exacted that he would not kill the animals. He seemed more delighted with a long spike-nail which was offered him than with the animals. It was evident that the people on the coast had not forgotten what occurred on the previous voyage, as the first words they uttered on coming on board were, “We are afraid of the guns;” yet they seemed to understand that if they behaved properly they would be well treated.

Soon after this a heavy gale sprang up, which lasted several days. During its continuance the Adventure was separated from the Resolution, and no more was seen or heard of her during the remainder of the voyage. The stormy weather continued for some time, and the Resolution had all her sails split before she at length came to an anchor in an inlet discovered on the east side of Cape Teerawhitte. While she lay at anchor, some natives came off who were tempted on board with the offer of nails, which they highly valued. To one of the men two cocks and two hens were given, but it was feared from his manner, on receiving the present, that he would not take proper care of them.

The next day, the gale having abated, the Resolution proceeded to Ship Cove, in Queen Charlotte’s Sound. Here the sails were unbent to be repaired, and tents were set up on shore. It was now discovered that the bread, which was in casks, was greatly damaged. It was therefore examined, the copper oven was set up, and the better portions re-baked. The natives at once visited the ship, several of whom Captain Cook remembered, especially an old man, Goubiah by name. Some of them appropriated whatever they could find on shore unguarded, and, among other things, a seaman’s bag of clothes. These were, however, recovered by the captain, who made, he says, a “friendly application for them,” a mode of proceeding which, with a due exhibition of power, might possibly have succeeded on other occasions under similar circumstances. The youngest of the two sows which Captain Furneaux had put on shore in Cannibal Cove was seen with these people, but lame of a leg and very tame. It was said that the other had been killed, but this was afterwards found not to be the case. The people proved to be adepts in thieving, and one chief, pretending to keep his countrymen at a proper distance, with furious actions, was discovered putting a handkerchief into his bosom which he had just picked out of Captain Cook’s pocket. A fresh party, after bartering fish for cloth very fairly, stole six small water-casks, and then made off in a fright, leaving a boar, which had been given them, and some of their own dogs. It is pleasant to have to describe the persevering endeavours of Captain Cook to stock the country with animals likely to prove useful to the inhabitants, little thinking how largely his own countrymen would benefit by his labours, and that, before a century would have passed by, vast flocks of sheep, and horned cattle, and horses would be feeding on the widely extended pastures of those fertile islands.

Before sailing, when at length one day his visitors had left him, he took on shore three sows and a boar, two cocks and two hens, carrying them some little way into the woods, where they were left with a supply of food to last them for ten or twelve days. The food was left that the animals might remain in the woods, and not roam down to the shore, where they might be discovered by the natives. Some cocks and hens were also left in Ship Cove, but as the natives occasionally went there, there was a risk of the birds falling into their hands. Two more goats were landed, but the he-goat was seized with a sort of fit, and was supposed to have rushed into the sea and been drowned, as his mate, who followed him when he started off on his mad career, came back without him. The vegetables which had been planted on the former visit had thriven, and most of the potatoes had been dug up.