Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World: Made in H. M. Bark "Endeavour", 1768-71Cook, James
History
Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World: Made in H. M. Bark "Endeavour", 1768-71
Cook, James
Oceania -- Discovery and exploration -- Early works to 1800; Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
Thursday, 29th. Squally weather with Showers of rain. This morning we
left Tiaraboo and entered upon that of Opooreonoo, the North-West
district of the Island. The first thing we met with worthy of note was at
one of their Mories, where lay the scull bones of 26 Hogs and 6 Dogs.
These all lay near to and under one of their Altars. These Animals must
have been offer'd as a Sacrifice to their Gods either all at once or at
different times, but on what account we could not learn. The next day we
met with an Effigy or Figure of a Man made of Basket work and covered
with white and Black feathers placed in such order as to represent the
Colour of their Hair and Skins when Tattow'd or painted. It was 7 1/2
feet high and the whole made in due proportion; on its head were 4 Nobs
not unlike the stumps of Large Horns--3 stood in front and one behind. We
were not able to learn what use they made of this Monster; it did not at
all appear to us that they paid it the least Homage as a God: they were
not the least Scrupulous of letting us examine every part of it. I am
inclinable to think that it is only used by way of diversion at their
Hevas or public entertainments, as Punch is in a Puppet show.* (* Note by
Cook in Admiralty copy: "Tupia informs us that this is a representation
of one of the Second rank of Eatuas or Gods, called Mauwi, who inhabited
the Earth upon the Creation of man. He is represented as an immense Giant
who had seven heads, and was indued with immense strength and abilities.
Many absurd stories are told of his Feats by Tupia.") We next passed
through a Harbour, which is the only one on the south side of Opooreonoo
fit for Shipping. It is situated about 5 Miles to the Westward of the
Isthmus between 2 Small Islands that lay near the shore and a Mile from
each other. In this Harbour is 11 and 12 fathoms of water and good
Anchorage. About a League and a half to the Westward of this Harbour is
the Morie of Oamo or Oberia, for some told us it belong'd to the one and
some to the other; it far Exceeds every thing of this Kind upon the whole
Island. It is a long square of Stonework built Pyramidically; its base is
267 feet by 87 feet; at the Top it is 250 feet by 8 feet. It is built in
the same manner as we do steps leading up to a Sun Dial or fountain
erected in the Middle of a Square where there is a flite of steps on each
side. In this building there are 11 of such steps; each step is about 4
feet in height and the breadth 4 feet 7 inches, but they decreased both
in height and breadth from the bottom to the Top. On the middle of the
Top stood the Image of a Bird carved in Wood, near it lay the broken one
of a Fish carved in stone. There was no hollow or Cavity in the inside,
the whole being fill'd up with stones. The outside was faced partly with
hewn stones and partly with others, and these were placed in such a
manner as to look very agreeable to the Eye. Some of the hewn stones were
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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