Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World
Monday, 19th. Punished James Tunley with 12 lashes for taking Rum out of
the Cask on the Quarter Deck.
Tuesday, 20th. Got all the Powder aShore to Air, all of which we found in
a bad Condition, and the Gunner informs me that it was very little better
when it came first on board. Last Night Obariea made us a visit, whom we
have not seen for some time. We were told of her coming, and that she
would bring with her some of the Stol'n things, which we gave Credit to
because we know'd several of them were in her possession; but we were
surprised to find this Woman put herself wholy in our power, and not
bring with her one Article of what we had lost. The Excuse she made was
that her Gallant, a man that used to be along with her, did Steal them,
and she had beat him and turned him away, but she was so Sencible of her
own Guilt that she was ready to drop down through fear, and yet she had
resolution Enough to insist upon Sleeping in Mr. Banks's Tent all Night,
and was with difficulty prevailed upon to go to her canoe, altho no one
took the least notice of her. In the morning she brought her Canoe, with
everything she had, to the Gate of the Fort, after which we could not
help admiring her for her Courage and the Confidence she seem'd to place
in us, and thought that we could do no less than to receive her into
favour, and except the Present she had brought us, which consisted of a
Hog, a Dog, some Bread Fruit and Plantains.
We refused to Except of the Dog, as being an Animal we had no use for; at
which she seemed a little surprised, and told us it was very good eating,
and we very soon had an opportunity to find that it was so, for Mr.
Banks, having bought a Basket of Fruit in which was the Thigh of a Dog
ready dressed, of this several of us tasted, and found that it was Meat
not to be despised, and therefore took Obariea's Dog and had him
immediately dressed by some of the Natives in the following manner: They
first made a hole in the Ground about a foot Deep, in which they made a
fire and heated some small Stones. While this was doing the Dog was
strangled and the hair got off by laying him frequently on the fire, and
as clean as if it had been scalded off with hot water. His Intrails was
taken out, and the whole washed Clean, and as soon as the Stones and Hole
was sufficiently heated the fire was put out and part of the Stones were
left in the bottom of the hole. Upon these stones were laid green leafs,
and upon them the Dog, together with the Intrails, these were likewise
covered with leaves, and over them hot stones; and then the hole was
close cover'd with mould. After he had laid here about 4 Hours, the Oven
(for so I must call it) was op'ned, and the dog taken out, whole and well
done, and it was the Opinion of every one who tasted it that they never
eat sweater Meat, therefore we resolved for the future never to dispise
Dog's flesh. It is in this manner that the Natives dress and Bake all
their Victuals that require it--Flesh, fish, and Fruit. I now gave over
all thoughts of recovering any of the things the Natives had stol'n from
us, and therefore intend to give them up their Canoes whenever they apply
for them.
Wednesday, 21st. Employed drying the Powder, or getting on board Wood,
Water, etc. Confined Robert Anderson, Seaman, for refusing to obey the
orders of the Mate when at work in the Hold. This morning a Chief, whose
Name is Oamo, and one we had not seen before, came to the Fort. There
came with him a Boy about 7 Years of Age and a Young Woman of about 18 or
20. At the Time of their coming Obariea and several others were in the
fort. They went out to meet them, having first uncovered their Heads and
Bodies as low as their Waists; and the same thing was done by all those
that were on the outside of the Fort. As we looked upon this as a
Ceremonial respect, and had not seen it paid to any one before, we
thought that this Oamo must be some extraordinary person, and wondered to
see so little notice taken of him after the Ceremony was over. The Young
woman that came along with him could not be prevailed upon to come into
the Fort, and the Boy was Carried upon a Man's back, altho' he was as
able to walk as the Man who carried him. This Lead us to inquire who they
were; and we was informed that the Boy was Heir Apparent to the
Sovereignty of the Island, and the Young Woman was his Sister, and as
such the respect was paid them which was due to no one else except the
Arreedehi, which was not Tootaha, from what we could learn, but some
other person who we had not seen, or like to do, for they say that he is
no Friend of ours, and therefore will not come near us. The Young Boy
above mentioned is son to Oamo by Obariea, but Oamo and Obariea do not at
this time live together as Man and Wife, he not being able to endure with
her troublesome disposition. I mention this because it shows that
seperation in the Marriage state is not unknown to these people.* (* See
note Notes on Tahiti below.)
Thursday, 22nd. This morning I released Robert Anderson from Confinement
at the intercession of the Master and a promise of behaving better for
the future.
Friday, 23rd. This morning Emanuel Parreyra, a Portugue, was Missing, and
I had some reason to think that he was gone with an intent to stay here.
It was not long before I was informed that he was at Apparra with
Tootaha. The Man who gave us this information was one of Tootaha's
Servants. He was Offer'd a Hatchet if he would go to Apparra and bring
him to us. This was perhaps the very thing he came for, for he
immediately set out and return'd with the Man in the Evening. The man
said in his defence that as he was going to the Boat to go on board last
night, he was taken away by force by 3 Men, and upon enquiring farther
into this matter I found it to be so, and that Tootaha wanted to have
kept him, only that he was perswaided to the contrary, or perhaps he
thought that the Hatchet he would get by returning him would do him more
service than the Man.
Saturday, 24th, Sunday, 25th. Nothing remarkable.
[Tahiti: Expedition round Island.]
Monday, 26th. Very early this morning I set out in the pinnace,
accompanied by Mr. Banks, with an intent to make the Circuit of the
Island in order to Examine and draw a Sketch of the Coast and Harbours
thereof. We took our rout to the Eastward, and this night reached the
Isthmus, which is a low neck of Land running across the Island, which
divides it into two districts or Governments wholly independent of each
other as we was informed. The first thing we saw which struck our
attention in this day's rout was a small Pig that had not been roasted
above a Day or 2 laid upon one of their Altars near to a place where lay
the Body or Bones of a Dead Person. This Pig must have been put their as
an offering to their God, but on what account we know not. The Coast from
Royal Bay trends East by South and East-South-East 10 miles South by East
and South 11 miles to the Isthmus. In the first direction the Shore is
mostly open to the Sea, but in the last it is cover'd by reefs of rocks;
these forms several good Harbours, wherein are safe Anchorage for
Shipping in 16, 18, 20, and 24 fathoms, with other Conveniences. It was
in one of these Harbours the Spanish Ships before mentioned lay; the
Natives shew'd us the place where they Pitched their Tent and the Brook
they water'd at, otherways there was not the least signs of Shipping
having been there.
Tuesday, 27th. Winds Easterly and fine weather. It was late last night
before we reached the Isthmus, and all the Observations I could make this
morning was that it appeared to be a Marshey flatt of about 2 miles in
Extent aCross which the Natives Haul their Canoes partly by land and
partly by water. From the Isthmus the land trends East Southerly near 3
Leagues, to the South-East point of the Great Bay which lies before the
Isthmus. On the west side of this point is a Bay called Ohitepepa, which
is in many respects similar to Royal Bay, and is situated in every bit as
fertile and populous part of the Island. There are other places formed by
the Reefs that lay along the Shore between this and the Isthmus, where
Shipping can lay in perfect security. The Land then trends South-East and
South to the South-East part of the Island, which is near 3 Leagues, and
covered all the way by a Reef of Rocks, but no Harbour. We took up our
Quarters at the East part of the Island, being conducted thither by a
Young Chief we had Often seen on board the Ship, and the next morning
proceeded round the South-East point of the Island, part of which is not
cover'd by any reef, but lies wholy open to the Sea and here the Hills
rise directly from the Shore. At the Southernmost part of the Island the
Shore is again cover'd by a Reef, and there forms a very good Harbour,
and the land about it very fertile. At this place we saw a Goose and a
Turkey left at Royal Bay by the Dolphin; they were in possession of a
Chief who came along with us in the Boat, and remain'd with us the
remainder of the day, and conducted us over the Shoals we here meet with;
and for this piece of service we lent him a Cloak to Sleep in in the
night, but we had not been laid down above 10 minutes before he thought
proper to move off with it, but both Mr. Banks and I pursued him so close
that he was obliged to relinquish his prize, and we saw no more of him.
When we returned to our Lodging we found the House, in which were not
less than 2 or 300 people when we went away, intirely deserted, so that
we had one of the Largest and best houses on the Island wholy to
ourselves; but when they found that we meant them no harm the Chief and
his Wife with some others came and Slept by us the remainder of the
night. This place is situated on the South-West side of Tiarreboo,* (*
Taiarapu.) the South-East district of the Island, and about 5 miles
South-East from the Isthmus. Here is a large, safe, and Commodious
Harbour, inferior to none on the whole Island, and the land about it Rich
in Produce. We found that the people of this district had had little or
no communication with us, yet we was everywhere well received by them. We
found all this part of the Island very fertile and the Natives numerous,
and had a great many large Double Canoes built and Ornamented uniformly.
They were all halled ashore, and appeared to be going to decay for want
of use. Their Mories or Burial places stood generally upon these points
of land that projected into the Sea, and were both better built and
Ornamented than those about Royal Bay--Tootaha's excepted. In general
this district appear'd to be in a more flourishing state than the other,
although it is not above one fourth part as big and cannot contain
nothing near the Number of inhabitants.
Thursday, 29th. Squally weather with Showers of rain. This morning we
left Tiaraboo and entered upon that of Opooreonoo, the North-West
district of the Island. The first thing we met with worthy of note was at
one of their Mories, where lay the scull bones of 26 Hogs and 6 Dogs.
These all lay near to and under one of their Altars. These Animals must
have been offer'd as a Sacrifice to their Gods either all at once or at
different times, but on what account we could not learn. The next day we
met with an Effigy or Figure of a Man made of Basket work and covered
with white and Black feathers placed in such order as to represent the
Colour of their Hair and Skins when Tattow'd or painted. It was 7 1/2
feet high and the whole made in due proportion; on its head were 4 Nobs
not unlike the stumps of Large Horns--3 stood in front and one behind. We
were not able to learn what use they made of this Monster; it did not at
all appear to us that they paid it the least Homage as a God: they were