The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World, Vol. III. Being the First of the Second VoyageCook, James
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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
At this unhappy accident, all the natives retired with precipitation. I
followed them into the bay, and prevailed upon the people in one canoe
to come along-side the boat, and receive some nails, and other things,
which I gave them. This, in some measure, allayed their fears. Having
taken a view of the bay, and found that fresh water, which we most
wanted, was to be had, I returned on board, and carried out a
kedge-anchor with three hawsers upon an end, to warp the ship in by, and
hove short on the bower. One would have thought, that the natives, by
this time, would have been so sensible of the effect of our fire-arms,
as not to have provoked us to fire upon them any more; but the event
proved otherwise. For the boat had no sooner left the kedge-anchor, than
two men in a canoe put off from the shore, took hold of the buoy-rope,
and attempted to drag it ashore, little considering what was fast to it.
Lest, after discovering their mistake, they should take away the buoy, I
ordered a musket to be fired at them. The ball fell short, and they took
not the least notice of it; but a second having passed over them, they
let go the buoy, and made for the shore. This was the last shot we had
occasion to fire at any of them while we lay at this place. It probably
had more effect than killing the man, by showing them that they were not
safe at any distance; at least we had reason to think so, for they
afterwards stood in great dread of the musket. Nevertheless, they would
very often be exercising their talent of thieving upon us, which I
thought proper to put up with, as our stay was not likely to be long
amongst them. The trouble these people gave us retarded us so long,
that, before we were ready to heave the anchor, the wind began to
increase, and blew in squalls out of the bay; so that we were obliged to
lie fast. It was not long before the natives ventured off to us again.
In the first canoe which came, was a man who seemed to be of some
consequence. He advanced slowly, with a pig on his shoulder, and
speaking something which we did not understand. As soon as he got
alongside, I made him a present of a hatchet; and several other
articles. In return he sent in his pig; and was, at last, prevailed upon
to come himself up into the gang-way, where he made but a short stay,
before he went away. The reception this man met with, induced the people
in all the other canoes to put alongside; and exchanges were presently
re-established.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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