The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. I. Being the First of the First Voyage.Cook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. I. Being the First of the First Voyage.
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
On the next morning, Thursday the 13th of July, the ship was very early
crowded with our friends, and surrounded by a multitude of canoes, which
were filled with the natives of an inferior class. Between eleven and
twelve we weighed anchor, and as soon as the ship was under sail, the
Indians on board took their leaves, and wept, with a decent and silent
sorrow, in which there was something very striking and tender: the
people in the canoes, on the contrary, seemed to vie with each other in
the loudness of their lamentations, which we considered rather as
affectation than grief. Tupia sustained himself in this scene with a
firmness and resolution truly admirable: he wept, indeed, but the effort
that he made to conceal his tears, concurred, with them, to do him
honour. He sent his last present, a shirt, by Otheothea, to Potomai,
Tootahah’s favourite mistress, and then went with Mr. Banks to the
mast-head, waving to the canoes as long as they continued in sight.
Thus we took leave of Otaheite, and its inhabitants, after a stay of
just three months; for much the greater part of the time we lived
together in the most cordial friendship, and a perpetual reciprocation
of good offices. The accidental differences which now and then happened,
could not be more sincerely regretted on their part than they were on
ours: the principal causes were such as necessarily resulted from our
situation and circumstances, in conjunction with the infirmities of
human nature, from our not being able perfectly to understand each
other, and from the disposition of the inhabitants to theft, which we
could not at all times bear with or prevent. They had not, however,
except in one instance, been attended with any fatal consequence; and to
that accident were owing the measures that I took to prevent others of
the same kind. I hoped, indeed, to have availed myself of the impression
which had been made upon them by the lives that had been sacrificed in
their contest with the Dolphin, so as that the intercourse between us
should have been carried on wholly without bloodshed; and by this hope
all my measures were directed during the whole of my continuance at the
island; and I sincerely wish, that whoever shall next visit it, may be
still more fortunate. Our traffic here was carried on with as much order
as in the best regulated market in Europe. It was managed principally by
Mr. Banks, who was indefatigable in procuring provisions and
refreshments while they were to be had; but during the latter part of
our time they became scarce, partly by the increased consumption at the
fort and ship, and partly by the coming on of the season in which
cocoa-nuts and bread-fruit fail. All kind of fruit we purchased for
beads and nails; but no nails less than fortypenny were current: after a
very short time we could never get a pig of more than ten or twelve
pounds for less than a hatchet; because, though these people set a high
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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