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
We did not know that any were hurt. It was remarkable, that
when I joined our party, I tried my musquet in the air, and it went off
as well as a piece could do. Seeing no good was to be got with these
people, or at the isle, as having no port, we returned on board, and
having hoisted in the boats, made sail to W. S. W. I had forgot to
mention, in its proper order, that having put ashore a little before we
came to this last place, three or four of us went upon the cliffs, where
we found the country, as before, nothing but coral rocks, all over-run
with bushes; so that it was hardly possible to penetrate into it, and we
embarked again with intent to return directly on board, till we saw the
canoes; being directed to the place by the opinion of some of us, who
thought they heard some people.
The conduct and aspect of these islanders occasioned my naming it Savage
Island. It is situated in the latitude 19° 1ʹ South, longitude 169° 37ʹ
West. It is about eleven leagues in circuit; of a round form, and good
height; and hath deep waters close to its shores. All the sea-coast, and
as far inland as we could see, is wholly covered with trees, shrubs, &c.
amongst which were some cocoa-nut trees; but what the interior parts may
produce, we know not. To judge of the whole garment by the skirts, it
cannot produce much; for so much as we saw of it consisted wholly of
coral rocks, all over-run with wood and bushes. Not a bit of soil was to
be seen; the rocks alone supplying the trees with humidity. If these
coral rocks were first formed in the sea by animals, how came they
thrown up to such a height? Has this island been raised by an
earthquake? Or has the sea receded from it? Some philosophers have
attempted to account for the formation of low isles, such as are in this
sea; but I do not know that any thing has been said of high islands, or
such as I have been speaking of. In this island, not only the loose
rocks which cover the surface, but the cliffs which bound the shores,
are of coral stone, which the continual beating of the sea has formed
into a variety of curious caverns, some of them very large: the roof or
rock over them being supported by pillars, which the foaming waves have
formed into a multitude of shapes, and made more curious than the
caverns themselves. In one, we saw light was admitted through a hole at
the top; in another place, we observed that the whole roof of one of
these caverns had sunk in, and formed a kind of valley above, which lay
considerably below the circumjacent rocks.
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