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 29th, not very early in the forenoon, Mr. Banks went to pay his
court to Oberea, and was told that she was still asleep under the awning
of her canoe: thither therefore he went, intending to call her up, a
liberty which he thought he might take, without any danger of giving
offence: but, upon looking into her chamber, to his great astonishment
he found her in bed with a handsome young fellow about five-and-twenty,
whose name was OBADÉE: he retreated with some haste and confusion, but
was soon made to understand, that such amours gave no occasion to
scandal, and that Obadée was universally known to have been selected by
her as the object of her private favours. The lady being too polite to
suffer Mr. Banks to wait long in her antichamber, dressed herself with
more than usual expedition; and, as a token of special grace, clothed
him in a suit of fine cloth and proceeded with him to the tents. In the
evening Mr. Banks paid a visit to Tubourai Tamaide, as he had often done
before, by candle-light, and was equally grieved and surprised to find
him and his family in a melancholy mood, and most of them in tears: he
endeavoured in vain to discover the cause, and therefore his stay among
them was but short. When he reported this circumstance to the officers
at the fort, they recollected that Owhaw had foretold, that in four days
we should fire our great guns; and as this was the eve of the third day,
the situation in which Tubourai Tamaide and his family had been found
alarmed them. The sentries therefore were doubled at the fort, and the
gentlemen slept under arms. At two in the morning, Mr. Banks himself
went round the point, but found every thing so quiet, that he gave up
all suspicions of mischief intended by the natives as groundless. We
had, however, another source of security,—our little fortification was
now complete. The north and south sides consisted of a bank of earth
four feet and a half high on the inside, and a ditch without ten feet
broad and six deep: on the west side, facing the bay, there was a bank
of earth four feet high, and palisadoes upon that, but no ditch, the
works here being at high-water mark: on the east side, upon the bank of
the river, was placed a double row of water-casks, filled with water;
and as this was the weakest side, the two four pounders were planted
there, and six swivel guns were mounted so as to command the only two
avenues from the woods. Our garrison consisted of about five-and-forty
men with small arms, including the officers and the gentlemen who
resided on shore; and our sentries were as well relieved as in the best
regulated frontier in Europe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account