The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. IV. Being the Second of the Second Voyage.Cook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. IV. Being the Second of the Second Voyage.
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
The outlet lies S. E. by E., and N. W. by W., and nearly in the
direction of E. S. E., and W. N. W. from Cape Terrawhitte. We found
thirteen fathoms water a little within the entrance, clear ground. It
seemed to me that a leading wind was necessary to go in and out of this
passage, on account of the rapidity of the tides. I, however, had but
little time to make observations of this nature, as night was at hand,
and I had resolved to return on board. On that account, I omitted
visiting a large _hippa_, or strong-hold, built on an elevation on the
north side, and about a mile or two within the entrance. The inhabitants
of it, by signs, invited us to go to them; but, without paying any
regard to them, we proceeded directly for the ship, which we reached by
ten o’clock, bringing with us some fish we had got from the natives, and
a few birds we had shot. Amongst the latter, were some of the same kind
of ducks we found in Dusky Bay; and we have reason to believe that they
are all to be met with here. For the natives knew them all by the
drawings, and had a particular name for each.
On the 6th, wind at N. E., gloomy weather with rain. Our old friends
having taken up their abode near us, one of them, whose name was Pedero,
(a man of some note,) made me a present of a staff of honour, such as
the chiefs generally carry. In return, I dressed him in a suit of old
clothes, of which he was not a little proud. He had a fine person and a
good presence; and nothing but his colour distinguished him from an
European. Having got him and another into a communicative mood, we began
to enquire of them if the Adventure had been there during my absence,
and they gave us to understand in a manner that admitted of no doubt,
that soon after we were gone she arrived, that she staid between ten and
twenty days, and had been gone ten months. They likewise asserted, that
neither she nor any other ship had been stranded on the coast, as had
been reported. This assertion, and the manner in which they related the
coming and going of the Adventure, made me easy about her; but did not
wholly set aside our suspicions of a disaster having happened to some
other strangers. Besides what has been already related, we had been told
that a ship had lately been here, and was gone to a place called Terato,
which is on the north side of the Strait. Whether this story related to
the former or no, I cannot say. Whenever I questioned the natives about
it, they always denied all knowledge of it; and for some time past had
avoided mentioning it. It was but a few days before, that one man
received a box on the ear for naming it to some of our people.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account