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
All our endeavours to get the name of the whole island proved ineffectual.
Probably it is too large for them to know by one name. Whenever we made
this enquiry, they always gave us the name of some district or place, which
we pointed to; and, as before observed, I got the names of several, with
the name of the king or chief of each. Hence I conclude, that the country
is divided into several districts, each governed by a chief; but we know
nothing of the extent of his power. Balade was the name of the district we
were at, and Tea Booma the chief. He lived on the other side of the ridge
of hills, so that we had but little of his company, and therefore could not
see much of his power. _Tea_ seems a title prefixed to the names of
all, or most, of their chiefs or great men. My friend honoured me by
calling me _Tea_ Cook.
They deposit their dead in the ground. I saw none of their burying-places,
but several of the gentlemen did. In one, they were informed, lay the
remains of a chief who was slain in battle; and his grave, which bore some
resemblance to a large mole-hill, was decorated with spears, darts,
paddles, etc. all stuck upright in the ground round about it. The canoes,
which these people use, are somewhat like those of the Friendly Isles; but
the most heavy clumsy vessels I ever saw. They are what I call double
canoes, made out of two large trees, hollowed out, having a raised gunnel,
about two inches high, and closed at each end with a kind of bulk-head of
the same height; so that the whole is like a long square trough, about
three feet shorter than the body of the canoe; that is, a foot and a half
at each end. Two canoes, thus fitted, are secured to each other, about
three feet asunder, by means of cross spars, which project about a foot
over each side. Over these spars is laid a deck, or very heavy platform,
made of plank, and small round spars, on which they have a fire-hearth, and
generally a fire burning; and they carry a pot or jar to dress their
victuals in. The space between the two canoes is laid with plank, and the
rest with spars. On one side of the deck, and close to the edge, is fixed a
row of knees, pretty near to each other, the use of which is to keep the
masts, yards, etc. from, rolling over-board. They are navigated by one or
two lateen-sails, extended to a small lateen-yard, the end of which fixes
in a notch or hole in the deck. The foot of the sail is extended to a small
boom. The sail is composed of pieces of matting, the ropes are made of the
coarse filaments of the plantain-tree, twisted into cords of the thickness
of a finger; and three or four more such cords, marled together, serve them
for shrouds, etc. I thought they sailed very well; but they are not at all
calculated for rowing or paddling. Their method of proceeding, when they
cannot sail, is by sculling, and for this purpose there are holes in the
boarded deck or platform. Through these they put the sculls, which are of
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