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
On 4th February the ships unmoored and sailed from the bay, steering to
the north in hopes of finding a better anchorage. The wind was very
light, and the progress was so slow that it gave Terreeoboo an
opportunity of sending off a further present of food. Soon after a gale
sprang up, and the canoes which had accompanied them beat a hasty
retreat, leaving a good many, mostly women, on board the ships. About
midnight the fore and main topsails were split, but towards morning the
wind died away and they were able to bend fresh sails. A second gale came
on again at night, putting them under double-reefed topsails, with
topgallant yards sent down, and at daybreak the fore-mast was found to be
so badly sprung that it was absolutely necessary it should be unstepped
for immediate repairs. After considerable hesitation, for he fully
recognised that the place must be almost denuded of surplus provisions,
Cook decided to return to Karakakoa Bay as no other convenient place was
known, and the ships again anchored there on the 11th, starting
immediately to unstep and get the mast ashore, when it was found to be
rotten at the heel as well as sprung. Wood that had been cut at Eimeo for
anchor stocks was used for fishing the head, and the work proceeded
rapidly: the priests making the camp tabu, so that there should be no
interference with the workmen.
When the ships arrived in the bay, hardly a canoe was to be seen, and
none came out to the ships. This, contrasted with their first reception,
was the cause of some surprise, and, in view of what happened afterwards,
of some suspicion; but Mr. King, who had more intercourse with the
natives than any of the other officers, was thoroughly satisfied that
"they neither meant nor apprehended any change of conduct." Burney says
that Terreeoboo and some of the chiefs visited them on the 12th, and
asked many questions about their return, and did not seem well satisfied
with the answers received.
TROUBLE COMMENCES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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