The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. II. Being the Second of the First VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. II. Being the Second of the First Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
From this excursion we returned between three and four o’clock, and
having dined on board, we went ashore again at the watering-place, where
a party of men were filling casks. Mr. Gore, the second lieutenant, had
been sent out in the morning with a boat to dredge for oysters at the
head of the bay; when he had performed this service, he went ashore, and
having taken a midshipman with him, and sent the boat away, set out to
join the waterers by land. In his way he fell in with a body of
two-and-twenty Indians, who followed him, and were often not more than
twenty yards distant. When Mr. Gore perceived them so near, he stopped,
and faced about, upon which they stopped also; and when he went on
again, continued their pursuit. They did not, however, attack him,
though they were all armed with lances, and he and the midshipman got in
safety to the watering-place. The Indians, who had slackened their
pursuit when they came in sight of the main body of our people, halted
at about the distance of a quarter of a mile, where they stood still.
Mr. Monkhouse and two or three of the waterers took it into their head
to march up to them; but seeing the Indians keep their ground till they
came pretty near them, they were seized with a sudden fear very common
to the rash and fool-hardy, and made a hasty retreat. This step, which
insured the danger that it was taken to avoid, encouraged the Indians,
and four of them running forward, discharged their lances at the
fugitives, with such force, that flying no less than forty yards, they
went beyond them. As the Indians did not pursue, our people, recovering
their spirits, stopped to collect the lances when they came up to the
place where they lay; upon which the Indians, in their turn, began to
retire. Just at this time I came up, with Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and
Tupia; and being desirous to convince the Indians that we were neither
afraid of them, nor intended them any mischief, we advanced towards
them, making signs of expostulation and entreaty; but they could not be
persuaded to wait till we could come up. Mr. Gore told us, that he had
seen some of them up the bay, who had invited him by signs to come on
shore, which he, certainly with great prudence, declined.
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