The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World, Vol. III. Being the First of the Second VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World, Vol. III. Being the First of the Second Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
On the 27th, early in the morning, Otoo, attended by a numerous train,
paid me a visit. He first sent into the ship a large quantity of cloth,
fruits, a hog, and two large fish; and, after some persuasion, came
aboard himself, with his sister, a younger brother, and several more of
his attendants. To all of them I made presents; and, after breakfast,
took the king, his sister, and as many more as I had room for, into my
boat, and carried them home to Oparree. I had no sooner landed than I
was met by a venerable old lady, the mother of the late Toutaha. She
seized me by both hands, and burst into a flood of tears, saying,
_Toutaha Tiyo no Toutee matty Toutaha_—(Toutaha, your friend, or the
friend of Cook, is dead). I was so much affected with her behaviour,
that it would have been impossible for me to have refrained mingling my
tears with hers, had not Otoo come and taken me from her. I, with some
difficulty, prevailed on him to let me see her again, when I gave her an
axe and some other things. Captain Furneaux, who was with me, presented
the king with two fine goats, male and female, which, if taken care of,
or rather if no care at all is taken of them, will no doubt multiply.
After a short stay we took leave and returned on board.
Very early in the morning on the 28th, I sent Mr. Pickersgill, with the
cutter, as far as Ottahourou, to endeavour to procure hogs. A little
after sun-rise, I had another visit from Otoo, who brought me more
cloth, a pig, and some fruit. His sister, who was with him, and some of
his attendants, came on board; but he and others went to the Adventure,
with the like present to Captain Furneaux. It was not long before he
returned with Captain Furneaux on board the Resolution, when I made him
a handsome return for the present he had brought me, and dressed his
sister out in the best manner I could. She, the king’s brother, and one
or two more, were covered before him to-day. When Otoo came into the
cabin, Ereti and some of his friends were sitting there. The moment they
saw the king enter, they stripped themselves in great haste, being
covered before. Seeing I took notice of it, they said _Earee, Earee_;
giving me to understand that it was on account of Otoo being present.
This was all the respect they paid him; for they never rose from their
seats, nor made him any other obeisance. When the king thought proper to
depart, I carried him again to Oparree in my boat; where I entertained
him, and his people, with the bag-pipes (of which music they are very
fond), and dancing by the seamen. He, in return, ordered some of his
people to dance also, which consisted chiefly of contortions. There
were, however, some who could imitate the seamen tolerably well, both in
country-dances and hornpipes. While we were here, I had a present of
cloth from the late Toutaha’s mother. This good old lady could not look
upon me without shedding tears; however, she was far more composed than
before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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