Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World: Made in H. M. Bark "Endeavour", 1768-71Cook, James
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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
Tuesday, 5th. P.M., had the winds at South-West and West-South-West, a
fresh breeze. At 3 o'Clock we return'd on board, and after dinner Visited
another part of the Bay, but met with nothing new. By the evening all our
Empty Casks were fill'd with water, and had at the same time got on board
a large quantity of Sellery, which is found here in great Plenty. This I
still caused to be boild every morning with Oatmeal and Portable Soup for
the Ship's Company's breakfast. At 4 a.m. weigh'd with a light breeze at
South-East, but had Variable light Airs and sometimes Calm until near
Noon, when a Gentle breeze sprung up at North. At this time we had not
got out of the Bay; our Latitude by Observation was 35 degrees 9 minutes
South. This Bay I have before observed, lies on the West side of Cape
Brett: I have named it the Bay of Islands,* (* The principal settlement
in the Bay of Islands is Russell. A little higher up the Waikare River,
at Opua, coal obtained from mines in the vicinity is shipped. At Russell,
then called Kororarika, the first settlement of missionaries was formed
in 1814 by Samuel Marsden. Here also the Government of the Island was
first established in 1840, but was soon removed to Auckland.) on account
of the Great Number which line its shores, and these help to form Several
safe and Commodious Harbours, wherein is room and Depth of Water
sufficient for any number of Shipping. The one we lay in is on the
South-West side of South-Westermost Island, that lies on the South-East
side of the Bay. I have made no accurate Survey of this Bay; the time it
would have requir'd to have done this discouraged me from attempting it;
besides, I thought it quite Sufficient to be able to Affirm with
Certainty that it affords a good Anchorage and every kind of refreshment
for Shipping, but as this was not the Season for roots, we got only fish.
Some few we Caught ourselves with hook and line and in the Sean, but by
far the greatest part we purchased of the Natives, and these of Various
sorts, such as Sharks, Stingrays, Breams, Mullet, Mackerel, and several
other sorts. Their way of Catching them is the same as ours, viz., with
Hook and line and Seans; of the last they have some prodidgious large
made all of a Strong Kind of Grass. The Mackerel are in every respect the
same as those we have in England, only some are larger than any I ever
saw in any other Part of the World; although this is the Season for this
fish, we have never been able to Catch one with hook and line. The
inhabitants of this Bay are far more numerous than at any other place we
have yet been in, and seem to live in friendship one with another,
although it doth not at all appear that they are united under one head.*
(* This district was found to be very populous when the missionaries
came.) They inhabited both the Islands and the Main, and have a Number of
Hippas, or Strong Holds, and these are all built in such places as nature
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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