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
All our endeavours to get the name of the whole island proved
ineffectual. Probably, it is too large for them to know by one name.
Whenever we made this enquiry, they always gave us the name of some
district or place, which we pointed to; and, as before observed, I got
the names of several, with the name of the king or chief of each. Hence,
I conclude, that the country is divided into several districts, each
governed by a chief; but we know nothing of the extent of his power.
Balade was the name of the district we were at, and Tea Booma the chief.
He lived on the other side of the ridge of hills, so that we had but
little of his company, and therefore could not see much of his power.
_Tea_ seems a title prefixed to the names of all or most of their chiefs
or great men. My friend honoured me by calling me _Tea_ Cook.
They deposit their dead in the ground. I saw none of their
burying-places; but several of the gentlemen did. In one, they were
informed, lay the remains of a chief, who was slain in battle; and his
grave, which bore some resemblance to a large molehill, was decorated
with spears, darts, paddles, &c. all stuck upright in the ground round
about it.
The canoes which these people use, are somewhat like those of the
Friendly Isles: but the most heavy, clumsy vessels I ever saw. They are
what I call double canoes, made out of two large trees hollowed out,
having a raised gunnel about two inches high, and closed at each end
with a kind of bulk head of the same height; so that the whole is like a
long square trough, about three feet shorter than the body of the canoe;
that is, a foot and an half at each end. Two canoes, thus fitted, are
secured to each other, about three feet asunder, by means of cross
spars, which project about a foot over each side. Over these spars is
laid a deck or very heavy platform, made of plank and small round spars,
on which they have a fire hearth, and generally a fire burning; and they
carry a pot or jar to dress their victuals in. The space between the two
canoes is laid with plank, and the rest with spars. On one side of the
deck, and close to the edge, is fixed a row of knees, pretty near to
each other, the use of which is to keep the mast, yards, &c. from
rolling over-board. They are navigated by one or two latteen sails,
extended to a small latteen yard, the end of which fixes in a notch or
hole in the deck. The foot of the sail is extended to a small boom. The
sail is composed of pieces of matting, the ropes are made of the coarse
filaments of the plantain tree, twisted into cords of the thickness of a
finger; and three or four more such cords, marled together, serve them
for shrouds, &c. I thought they sailed very well; but they are not at
all calculated for rowing or paddling. Their method of proceeding, when
they cannot sail, is by sculling; and for this purpose there are holes
in the boarded deck or platform. Through these they put the sculls,
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