A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World Volume 2Cook, James
History
A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World Volume 2
Cook, James
Antarctica; Oceania -- Discovery and exploration -- Early works to 1800; Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
It was now calm; but the anchor was hardly at the bow before a breeze
sprung up at north, of which we took the advantage, set our sails, and
plyed out of the bay, as it did not seem capable of supplying our wants
with that conveniency I wished to have. Besides, I always had it in my
power to return to this place, in case I should find none more convenient
farther south.
These islanders seemed to be a different race from those of Mallicollo; and
spoke a different language. They are of the middle size, have a good shape,
and tolerable features. Their colour is very dark, and they paint their
faces, some with black, and others with red pigment. Their hair is very
curly and crisp, and somewhat woolly. I saw a few women, and I thought them
ugly; they wore a kind of petticoat made of palm-leaves, or some plant like
it. But the men, like those of Mallicollo, were in a manner naked; having
only the belt about the waist, and the piece of cloth, or leaf, used as a
wrapper*. I saw no canoes with these people, nor were any seen in any part
of this island. They live in houses covered with thatch, and their
plantations are laid out by a line, and fenced round.
[* The particular manner of applying the wrapper may be seen in Wafer's
voyage, who mentions this singular custom as existing, though with some
little variation, amongst the Indians of the Isthmus of Darien.
See Wafer's Voyage, p. 140.]
At two o'clock in the afternoon, we were clear of the bay, bore up round
the head, and steered S.S.E. for the south end of the island, having a fine
breeze at N.W. On the S.W. side of the head is a pretty deep bay, which
seemed to run in behind the one on the N.W. side. Its shores are low, and
the adjacent lands appeared very fertile. It is exposed to the S.E. winds;
for which reason, until it be better known, the N.W. bay is preferable,
because it is sheltered from the reigning winds; and the winds to which it
is open, viz. from N.W. by N. to E. by N., seldom blow strong. The
promontory, or peninsula, which disjoins these two bays, I named Traitor's
Head, from the treacherous behaviour of its inhabitants. It is the N.E.
point of the island, situated in the latitude 18 deg. 43' S. longitude 169 deg.
'28' E., and terminates in a saddle-hill which is of height sufficient to
be seen sixteen or eighteen leagues. As we advanced to S.S.E., the new
island, we had before discovered, began to appear over the S.E. point of
the one near us, bearing S. 1/2 E., distant ten or twelve leagues. After
leaving this one, we steered for the east end of the other, being directed
by a great light we saw upon it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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