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
Wednesday, 29th. Fresh Gales at North-West and West-North-West, kept
plying to Windward until 7 A.M., and finding that we lost ground every
board we made, I thought I could not do better than to bear up for the
Bay, which lies to the Westward of Cape Brett, it being at this Time not
above 2 Leagues to Leeward of us, for by putting in there we should gain
some knowledge of it, on the Contrary, by Keeping the Sea with a Contrary
wind, we were sure of meeting with nothing new. These reasons induced me
to bear away for the Bay,* (* The Bay of Islands.) and at 11 o'Clock we
Anchor'd under the South-West side of one of the many Islands* (* Motu
Arohia.) that line the South-East side of it, in 4 1/2 fathoms; but as we
fell into this shoald water all at once, we Anchor'd sooner than was
intended, and sent the Master with 2 Boats to sound, who found that we
had got upon a Bank that spitted off from the North-West end of the
Island, and that on the outside of it was 8 and 10 fathoms Water.
Thursday, 30th. P.M., had the winds Westerly, with some very heavy
Showers of Rain. We had no sooner come to an Anchor than between 300 and
400 of the Natives Assembled in their Canoes about the Ship; some few
were admitted on board, and to one of the Chiefs I gave a piece of Broad
Cloth and distributed a few Nails, etc., among some others of them. Many
of these People had been off to the Ship when we were at Sea, and seem'd
to be very sencible of the use of Fire Arms, and in the Trade we had with
them they behaved Tolerable well, but continued so not long, before some
of them wanted to take away the Buoy,* (* The buoy on the anchor.) and
would not desist at the firing of several Musquets until one of them was
hurt by small Shott, after which they withdrew a small distance from the
Ship, and this was thought a good opportunity to try what Effect a Great
Gun would have, as they paid so little respect to a Musquet, and
accordingly one was fir'd over their Heads. This, I believe, would have
sent them quite off, if it had not been for Tupia, who soon prevail'd on
them to return to the Ship, when their behaviour was such as gave us no
room to suspect that they meant to give us any farther Trouble.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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