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
About nine o’clock, we put off in two boats, and landed in the face of
four or five hundred people, who were assembled on the shore. Though
they were all armed with bows and arrows, clubs and spears, they made
not the least opposition. On the contrary, seeing me advance alone, with
nothing but a green branch in my hand, one of them, who seemed to be a
chief, giving his bow and arrows to another, met me in the water,
bearing also a green branch, which having exchanged for the one I held,
he then took me by the hand, and led me up to the crowd. I immediately
distributed presents to them, and, in the mean time, the marines were
drawn upon the beach. I then made signs (for we understood not a word of
their language) that we wanted wood; and they made signs to us to cut
down the trees. By this time, a small pig being brought down and
presented to me, I gave the bearer a piece of cloth, with which he
seemed well pleased. This made us hope that we should soon have some
more; but we were mistaken. The pig was not brought to be exchanged for
what we had, but on some other account; probably as a peace-offering.
For all we could say or do did not prevail on them to bring down, after
this, above half-a-dozen cocoa-nuts, and a small quantity of fresh
water. They set no value on nails, or any sort of iron tools; nor indeed
on any thing we had. They would, now and then, exchange an arrow for a
piece of cloth; but very seldom would part with a bow. They were
unwilling we should go off the beach, and very desirous we should return
on board. At length, about noon, after sending what wood we had cut on
board, we embarked ourselves; and they all retired, some one way and
some another.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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