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
After these people were gone, I took four hogs (that is three sows and
one boar), two cocks and two hens, which I landed in the bottom of the
West Bay, carrying them a little way into the woods, where we left them
with as much food as would serve them ten or twelve days. This was done
with a view of keeping them in the woods, lest they should come down to
the shore in search of food and be discovered by the natives; which,
however, seemed not probable, as this place had never been frequented by
them, nor were any traces of them to be seen near it. We also left some
cocks and hens in the woods in Ship Cove, but these will have a chance
of falling into the hands of the natives, whose wandering way of life
will hinder them from breeding, even suppose they should be taken proper
care of. Indeed they took rather too much care of those which I had
already given them, by keeping them continually confined, for fear of
losing them in the woods. The sow pig we had not seen since the day they
had her from me; but we were now told she was still living, as also the
old boar and sow given them by Captain Furneaux; so that there is reason
to hope they may succeed. It will be unfortunate, indeed, if every
method I have taken to provide this country with useful animals should
be frustrated. We were likewise told that the two goats were still alive
and running about, but I gave more credit to the first story than this.
I should have replaced them, by leaving the only two I had left, but had
the misfortune to lose the ram soon after our arrival here in a manner
we could hardly account for. They were both put ashore at the tents,
where they seemed to thrive very well: at last the ram was taken with
fits bordering on madness. We were at a loss to tell whether it was
occasioned by any thing he had eaten, or by being stung with nettles,
which were in plenty about the place, but supposed it to be the latter,
and therefore did not take the care of him we ought to have done. One
night while he was lying by the sentinel, he was seized with one of
these fits, and ran headlong into the sea, but soon came out again and
seemed quite easy. Presently after, he was seized with another fit, and
ran along the beach, with the she-goat after him. Some time after she
returned, but the other was never seen more. Diligent search was made
for him in the woods to no purpose; we, therefore, supposed he had run
into the sea a second time and had been drowned. After this accident, it
would have been in vain to leave the she-goat as she was not with kid,
having kidded but a few days before we arrived, and the kids dead. Thus
the reader will see how every method I have taken to stock this country
with sheep and goats has proved ineffectual.
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