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
In the evening, all our boats being employed in carrying the water on
board, and Mr. Banks and his company finding it probable that they
should be left on shore after it was dark, by which much time would be
lost, which they were impatient to employ in putting the plants they had
gathered in order, they applied to the Indians for a passage in one of
their canoes: they immediately consented, and a canoe was launched for
their use. They went all on board, being eight in number, but not being
used to a vessel that required so even a balance, they unfortunately
overset her in the surf: no life, however, was lost, but it was thought
advisable that half of them should wait for another turn. Mr. Banks, Dr.
Solander, Tupia, and Tayeto embarked again, and without any further
accident arrived safely at the ship, well pleased with the good nature
of their Indian friends, who cheerfully undertook to carry them a second
time, after having experienced how unfit a freight they were for such a
vessel.
While these gentlemen were on shore, several of the natives went off to
the ship, and trafficked, by exchanging their cloth for that of
Otaheite: of this barter they were for some time very fond, preferring
the Indian cloth to that of Europe: but before night it decreased in its
value five hundred per cent. Many of these Indians I took on board, and
showed them the ship and her apparatus, at which they expressed equal
satisfaction and astonishment.
As I found it exceedingly difficult to get water on board on account of
the surf, I determined to stay no longer at this place; on the next
morning, therefore, about five o’clock, I weighed anchor, and put to
sea.
This bay, which is called by the natives TEGADOO, lies in the latitude
of 38° 10ʹ S.; but as it has nothing to recommend it, a description of
it is unnecessary.
From this bay I intended to stand on to the northward, but the wind
being right against me, I could make no way. While I was beating about
to windward, some of the natives came on board, and told me, that in a
bay which lay a little to the southward, being the same that I could not
fetch the day I put into Tegadoo, there was excellent water, where the
boats might land without a surf. I thought it better, therefore, to put
into this bay, where I might complete my water, and form farther
connections with the Indians, than to keep the sea. With this view I
bore up for it, and sent in two boats, manned and armed, to examine the
watering-place, who confirming the report of the Indians at their
return, I came to an anchor about one o’clock, in eleven fathom water,
with a fine sandy bottom, the north point of the bay N. by E., and the
south point S. E. The watering-place, which was in a small cove a little
within the south point of the bay, bore S. by E., distant about a mile.
Many canoes came immediately off from the shore, and all traded very
honestly for Otaheite cloth and glass-bottles, of which they were
immoderately fond.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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