The Life of Captain James Cook, the CircumnavigatorKitson, Arthur
History
The Life of Captain James Cook, the Circumnavigator
Kitson, Arthur
Cook, James, 1728-1779; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Geographers -- Great Britain -- Biography
Cook again complains of the thefts committed so continually, and says
that no punishment they could devise was effectual, for "flogging made no
more impression than it would have done upon the mainmast." The chiefs
would advise him to kill those caught, but as he would not proceed to
such a length the culprits generally escaped unpunished. Here the
Discovery lost her best bower anchor, the cable having been chafed by the
coral and parted when weighing; Burney describes how by pouring oil on
the water they were able to see and recover it from a depth of seventeen
fathoms. Landing on Happi they were very well received, and obtained
plentiful supplies of fresh food, which was most opportune. An
entertainment of boxing, wrestling, and combats with clubs made from
green coconut boughs was held in their honour; and Cook says that they
were carried on with the greatest good-humour in the presence of some
three thousand spectators, "though some, women as well as men, have
received blows they must feel some time after." When this was over the
chief, Feenough, presented Cook with supplies that required four boats to
take to the ships; it "far exceeded any present I had ever before
received from an Indian Prince." The donor was invited on board to
receive his return present, which proved so satisfactory that on his
return to the shore he forwarded still more in addition to his first
gift, and was amused by a drill of the marines and a display of
fireworks, which, though some were spoilt, were the cause of astonishment
and pleasure to the wondering natives. During one of his walks on shore
Cook saw a woman just completing a surgical operation on a child's eyes.
She was removing a film growing over the eyeballs, and the instruments
used are described as slender wooden probes. He was not able to say if
the operation were successful.
The chief, Feenough, went off to an island about two days' sail away, in
order to obtain some of the feather caps which were held in high
estimation; and Cook promised to wait for his return, but finding the
fresh supplies were running short, he sailed along the south of the reef
and put in to a bay in Lefooga. On the way the Discovery ran on a shoal,
but managed to back off without damage. Although he was not short of
water, Cook went ashore to inspect some well which he had been informed
contained water of a very superior quality, but he found it very bad, and
says: "This will not be the only time I shall have to remark that these
people do not know what good water is." Near these wells was a large
artificial mound about forty feet high, and fifty feet diameter on the
top, on which large trees were growing. At the foot was a hewn block of
coral, four feet broad, two and a half feet thick, and fourteen feet
high, but the natives present said that there was only one half of it
above ground. It was supposed to have been erected to the memory of a
great chief, but how many years ago it was impossible to guess.
KING POLAHO.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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