The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VI. Being the Second of the Third VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VI. Being the Second of the Third Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
for sale the piece of stuff that he wore round his waist, after the
manner of the other islands. These people were of a brown colour; and,
though of the common size, were stoutly made. There was little
difference in the cast of their colour, but a considerable variation in
their features; some of their visages not being very unlike those of
Europeans. The hair of most of them was cropt pretty short; others had
it flowing loose; and, with a few, it was tied in a bunch on the crown
of the head. In all, it seemed to be naturally black; but most of them
had stained it, as is the practice of the Friendly Islanders, with some
stuff which gave it a brown or burnt colour. In general they wore their
beards. They had no ornaments about their persons, nor did we observe
that their ears were perforated; but some were punctured on the hands,
or near the groin, though in a small degree; and the bits of cloth which
they wore, were curiously stained with red, black, and white colours.
They seemed very mild; and had no arms of any kind, if we except some
small stones, which they had evidently brought for their own defence;
and these they threw overboard, when they found that they were not
wanted.
Seeing no signs of an anchoring place at this eastern extreme of the
island, I bore away to leeward, and ranged along the south-east side, at
the distance of half a league from the shore. As soon as we made sail,
the canoes left us; but others came off, as we proceeded along the
coast, bringing with them roasting pigs, and some very fine potatoes,
which they exchanged, as the others had done, for whatever was offered
to them. Several small pigs were purchased for a sixpenny nail; so that
we again found ourselves in a land of plenty; and just at the time when
the turtle, which we had so fortunately procured at Christmas Island,
were nearly expended. We passed several villages; some seated near the
sea, and others farther up the country. The inhabitants of all of them
crowded to the shore, and collected themselves on the elevated places to
view the ships. The land upon this side of the island rises in a gentle
slope, from the sea to the foot of the mountains, which occupy the
centre of the country, except at one place near the east end, where they
rise directly from the sea, and seemed to be formed of nothing but
stone, or rocks lying in horizontal _strata_. We saw no wood, but what
was up in the interior part of the island, except a few trees about the
villages; near which, also, we could observe several plantations of
plantains and sugar-canes, and spots that seemed cultivated for roots.
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