A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1Cook, James
History
A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1
Cook, James
Antarctica; Oceania -- Discovery and exploration -- Early works to 1800; Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
A brisk trade for hogs and fruit continued on the 1st of June. On the 2d,
in the afternoon, we got intelligence that, three days before, two ships
had arrived at Huaheine. The same report said, the one was commanded by
Mr Banks, and the other by Captain Furneaux. The man who brought the
account said, he was made drunk on board one of them, and described the
persons of Mr Banks and Captain Furneaux so well, that I had not the
least doubt of the truth, and began to consider about sending a boat
over that very evening with orders to Captain Furneaux, when a man, a
friend of Mr Forster, happened to come on board and denied the whole,
saying it was _wa warre_, a lie. The man from whom we had the intelligence
was now gone, so that we could not confront them, and there were none
else present who knew any thing about it but by report; so that I laid
aside sending over a boat till I should be better informed. This evening
we entertained the people with fire-works, on one of the little isles
near the entrance of the harbour.
I had fixed on the next day for sailing, but the intelligence from Huaheine
put a stop to it. The chief had promised to bring the man on board who
first brought the account; but he was either not to be found, or would not
appear. In the morning, the people were divided in their opinions; but in
the afternoon, all said it was a false report. I had sent Mr Clerke, in the
morning, to the farthest part of the island, to make enquiries there; he
returned without learning any thing satisfactory. In short, the report
appeared now too ill founded to authorize me to send a boat over, or to
wait any longer here; and therefore, early in the morning of the 4th, I got
every thing in readiness to sail. Oree the chief, and his whole family,
came on board, to take their last farewell, accompanied by Oo-oo-rou, the
_Earee di hi_, and Boba, the _Earee_ of Otaha, and several of
their friends. None of them came empty; but Oo-oo-rou brought a pretty
large present, this being his first and only visit. I distributed amongst
them almost every thing I had left. The very hospitable manner in which I
had ever been received by these people, had endeared them to me, and given
them a just title to everything in my power to grant. I questioned them
again about the ships at Huaheine; and they all, to a man, denied that any
were there. During the time these people remained on board, they were
continually importuning me to return. The chief, his wife and daughter, but
especially the two latter, scarcely ever ceased weeping. I will not pretend
to say whether it was real or feigned grief they shewed on this occasion.
Perhaps there was a mixture of both; but were I to abide by my own opinion
only, I should believe it was real. At last, when we were about to weigh,
they took a most affectionate leave. Oree's last request was for me to
return; when he saw he could not obtain that promise, he asked the name of
my _Marai_ (burying-place).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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