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
While we lay here, we saw several smokes and large fires, about eight or
ten miles in shore to the northward, but did not see any of the natives;
though they frequently come into this bay, as there were several wigwams
or huts, where we found some bags and nets made of grass, in which I
imagine they carry their provisions and other necessaries. In one of
them there was the stone they strike fire with, and tinder made of bark,
but of what tree could not be distinguished. We found in one of their
huts, one of their spears, which was made sharp at one end, I suppose,
with a shell or stone. Those things we brought away, leaving in the room
of them, medals, gun-flints, a few nails, and an old empty barrel with
the iron hoops on it. They seem to be quite ignorant of every sort of
metal. The boughs, of which their huts are made, are either broken or
split, and tied together with grass in a circular form, the largest end
stuck in the ground, and the smaller parts meeting in a point at the
top, and covered with fern and bark; so poorly done that they will
hardly keep out a shower of rain. In the middle is the fire-place,
surrounded with heaps of muscle, pearl scallop, and cray-fish shells;
which I believe to be their chief food, though we could not find any of
them. They lie on the ground, on dried grass, round the fire; and, I
believe, they have no settled place of habitation (as their houses
seemed built only for a few days), but wander about in small parties
from place to place in search of food, and are actuated by no other
motive. We never found more than three or four huts in a place, capable
of containing three or four persons each only; and what is remarkable,
we never saw the least marks either of canoe or boat, and it is
generally thought they have none; being altogether, from what we could
judge, a very ignorant and wretched set of people, though natives of a
country capable of producing every necessary of life, and a climate the
finest in the world. We found not the least signs of any minerals or
metals.
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