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
I ordered out two boats, and with Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, the other
gentlemen, and our two Indian friends, we embarked for our expedition.
After rowing about a league, they made signs that we should go on shore,
and gave us to understand that this was the place of their residence. We
accordingly landed, among several hundreds of the natives, who conducted
us into a house of much greater length than any we had seen. When we
entered, we saw a middle-aged man, whose name was afterwards discovered
to be TOOTAHAH: mats were immediately spread, and we were desired to sit
down over against him. Soon after we were seated, he ordered a cock and
hen to be brought out, which he presented to Mr. Banks and me: we
accepted the present; and in a short time each of us received a piece of
cloth, perfumed after their manner, by no means disagreeably, which they
took great pains to make us remark. The piece presented to Mr. Banks was
eleven yards long and two wide; in return for which, he gave a laced
silk neckcloth, which he happened to have on, and a linen pocket
handkerchief: Tootahah immediately dressed himself in this new finery,
with an air of perfect complacency and satisfaction. But it is now time
that I should take some notice of the ladies.
Soon after the interchanging of our presents with Tootahah, they
attended us to several large houses, in which we walked about with great
freedom: they showed us all the civility of which, in our situation, we
could accept; and, on their part, seemed to have no scruple that would
have prevented its being carried farther. The houses, which, as I have
observed before, are all open, except a roof, afforded no place of
retirement; but the ladies, by frequently pointing to the mats upon the
ground, and sometimes seating themselves and drawing us down upon them,
left us no room to doubt of their being much less jealous of observation
than we were.
We now took leave of our friendly chief, and directed our course along
the shore. When we had walked about a mile, we met, at the head of a
great number of people, another chief, whose name was TOUBOURAI TAMAIDE,
with whom we were also to ratify a treaty of peace, with the ceremony of
which we were now become better acquainted. Having received the branch
which he presented to us, and given another in return, we laid our hands
upon our left breasts, and pronounced the word _Taio_, which we supposed
to signify friend; the chief then gave us to understand, that if we
chose to eat, he had victuals ready for us. We accepted his offer, and
dined very heartily upon fish, bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, and plantains,
dressed after their manner: they eat some of their fish raw; and raw
fish was offered to us, but we declined that part of the entertainment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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