A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 13Kerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 13
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
When I left the ship, many canoes were about it; Mr Banks therefore
chose to stay on board, and traffic with the natives: They bartered
their clothes and arms, chiefly for paper, and behaved with great
friendship and honesty. But while some of them were below with Mr Banks,
a young man who was upon the deck stole a half minute glass which was in
the binnacle, and was detected just as he was carrying it off. Mr Hicks,
who was commanding officer on board, took it into his head to punish
him, by giving him twelve lashes with a cat-o'-nine-tails; and
accordingly ordered him to be taken to the gang-way, and tied up to the
shrouds. When the other Indians who were on board saw him seized, they
attempted to rescue him; and being resisted, called for their arms,
which were handed up from the canoes, and the people of one of them
attempted to come up the ship's side. The tumult was heard by Mr Banks,
who, with Tupia, came hastily upon the deck to see what had happened.
The Indians immediately ran to Tupia, who, finding Mr Hicks inexorable,
could only assure them, that nothing was intended against the life of
their companion; but that it was necessary he should suffer some
punishment for his offence, which being explained to them, they seemed
to be satisfied. The punishment was then inflicted, and as soon as the
criminal was unbound, an old man among the spectators, who was supposed
to be his father, gave him a hearty beating, and sent him down into his
canoe. All the canoes then dropped astern, and the people said that they
were afraid to come any more near the ship: After much persuasion,
however, they ventured back again, but their cheerful confidence was at
an end, and their stay was short; they promised indeed, at their
departure, to return with some fish, but we saw no more of them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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