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
This day, some of our gentlemen, in their walks, found, what they were
pleased to call, a Roman Catholic chapel. Indeed, from their account,
this was not to be doubted; for they described the altar and every other
constituent part of such a place of worship. However, as they mentioned,
at the same time, that two men, who had the care of it, would not suffer
them to go in, I thought that they might be mistaken, and had the
curiosity to pay a visit to it myself. The supposed chapel proved to be
a _toopapaoo_, in which the remains of the late Waheiadooa lay, as it
were, in state. It was in a pretty large house, which was inclosed with
a low pallisade. The _toopapaoo_ was uncommonly neat, and resembled one
of those little houses, or awnings, belonging to their large canoes.
Perhaps it had originally been employed for that purpose. It was
covered, and hung round, with cloth and mats of different colours, so as
to have a pretty effect. There was one piece of scarlet broad-cloth,
four or five yards in length, conspicuous among the other ornaments;
which, no doubt, had been a present from the Spaniards. This cloth, and
a few tassels of feathers, which our gentlemen supposed to be silk,
suggested to them the idea of a chapel; for whatever else was wanting to
create a resemblance, their imagination supplied; and if they had not
previously known, that there had been Spaniards lately here, they could
not possibly have made the mistake. Small offerings of fruit and roots
seemed to be daily made at this shrine, as some pieces were quite fresh.
These were deposited upon a _whatta_, or altar, which stood without the
pallisades; and within these we were not permitted to enter. Two men
constantly attended, night and day, not only to watch over the place,
but also to dress and undress the _toopapaoo_. For when I first went to
survey it, the cloth and its appendages were all rolled up; but, at my
request, the two attendants hung it out in order, first dressing
themselves in clean white robes. They told me, that the chief had been
dead twenty months.
Having taken in a fresh supply of water, and finished all our other
necessary operations, on the 22d, I brought off the cattle and sheep,
which had been put on shore here to graze; and made ready for sea.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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