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 Monday, the 30th, about half an hour after one o’clock, having made
sail again to the northward for about ten hours, with a light breeze, I
hauled round a small island which lay east one mile from the north-east
point of the land: from this place I found the land trend away N. W. by
W. and W. N. W. as far as I could see, this point being the easternmost
land on the whole coast. I gave it the name of EAST CAPE, and I called
the island that lies off it EAST ISLAND; it is of a small circuit, high
and round, and appears white and barren: the cape is high, with white
cliffs, and lies in latitude 37° 42ʹ 30ʺ S. and longitude 181° W. The
land from Tolaga Bay to East Cape is of a moderate but unequal height,
forming several small bays, in which are sandy beaches: of the inland
country we could not see much, the weather being cloudy and hazy. The
soundings were from twenty to thirty fathom, at the distance of about a
league from the shore. After we had rounded the Cape, we saw in our run
along the shore a great number of villages, and much cultivated land;
the country in general appeared more fertile than before, and was low
near the sea, but hilly within. At six in the evening, being four
leagues to the westward of East Cape, we passed a bay which was first
discovered by Lieutenant Hicks, and which, therefore, I called HICKS’S
BAY. At eight in the evening, being eight leagues to the westward of the
Cape, and three or four miles from the shore, I shortened sail, and
brought to for the night, having at this time a fresh gale at S. S. E.
and squally; but it soon became moderate, and at two in the morning we
made sail again to the S. W. as the land now trended; and at eight
o’clock in the morning saw land, which made like an island, bearing
west, the south-westernmost part of the main bearing south-west; and
about nine no less than five canoes came off, in which were more than
forty men, all armed with their country pikes and battle-axes, shouting,
and threatening an attack; this gave us great uneasiness, and was,
indeed, what we did not expect; for we hoped, that the report both of
our power and clemency had spread to a greater extent. When one of these
canoes had almost reached the ship, another of an immense size, the
largest we had yet seen, crowded with people who were also armed, put
off from the shore, and came up at a great rate: as it approached it
received signals from the canoe that was nearest to the ship; and we
could see that it had sixteen paddles on a side, beside people that sat,
and others that stood in a row from stem to stern, being in all about
sixty men: as they made directly to the ship, we were desirous of
preventing an attack, by showing what we could do; and, therefore, fired
a gun, loaded with grape-shot, a-head of them: this made them stop, but
not retreat; a round-shot was then fired over them, and upon seeing it
fall, they seized their paddles and made towards the shore with such
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