Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World
of the Island, and in our way pick'd up half a Dozen Hogs, as many Fowls,
and some Plantains and Yams; and I had an opportunity to view and draw a
Sketch of the Harbour which lies on this Side of the Island, and which
was the only thing that induced me to make this Excursion. After it was
dark we met with the Longboat, which I had in the morning dispatch'd to
another part of the Island; and we now made the best of our way to the
Ship and got on board about 10 at night. The Carpenter having finished
stopping the Leaks about the Powder Room and Sailroom I now intend to
sail as soon as ever the wind will permit us to get out of the Harbour.
Wednesday, 9th. P.M. had a light breeze of wind at North; in the night
had much rain. A.M. little wind and Variable, with some Showers of rain.
At 11 a.m. a breeze of wind sprung up at East, which carried us out of
the Harbour, and as soon as the Boats were hoisted in made Sail to the
Southward. Since we have been about these Islands we have expended but
little of our Sea Provisions, and have at this last place been very
plentifully supply'd with Hogs, Fowls, Plantains, and Yams, which will be
of very great use to us in case we should not discover any lands in our
rout to the Southward, the way I now intend to Steer.
[Description of Society Islands.]
DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLANDS, ULIETEA, OTAHA AND BOLABOLA.
So called by the Natives, and it was not thought adviseable to give them
any other Names; but these three, with Huaheine, Tuibai, and Maurua, as
they lay contigious to one another, I have named Society Isles.
They are situated between the Latitude of 16 degrees 10 minutes and 16
degrees 55 minutes South and between the Longitude 151 degrees 00 minutes
and 151 degrees 42 minutes West from the Meridian of Greenwich. Ulietea
and Otaha lay close to each other, and are both inclosed within a Reef of
Coral Rocks; and altho' the distance between the one and the other is
near 2 Miles, yet there is no Passage for Shipping. By means of this reef
are form'd several excellent Harbours. The entrance into them are but
narrow, but when a Ship is once in nothing can hurt her. Those on the
East side have been already described. On the West side of Ulietea, which
is the largest Island of the 2, are 3, the Northermost of which, called
Oraotanue,* (* Rautoanui.) we lay in, the Channell leading in is a 1/4 of
a Mile wide and lies between 2 low sandy Islands, which are the
Northermost small Islands on this side. You have good Anchorage between
or just within the 2 Islands in 28 fathoms soft ground. This harbour,
tho' but small, yet it is preferable to any on the Island, on account of
the easy getting of fresh Water, and being seated in the most fertile
part of the Island. The other 2 harbours lay to the Southward of this,
and not far from the South end of the Island. In both of them are good
Anchorage in 10, 12, and 14 fathoms water: they are readily known by 3
small woody Islands that lay at their entrance, the Southermost Harbour
lies within and to the Southward of the Southermost Island, and the other
lies between the Northermost. There are more Harbours at the South End of
this Island, as I am inform'd, but these were not examind by us.
Otaha affords 2 very good Harbours, one on the East and the other on the
West side; that on the East side called Ohamane* (* Hamene.) hath been
already mentioned, the other is called Oharurua* (* Hurepiti.) and lies
about the middle of the South-West side of the Island. It is pretty
large, and affords good Anchorage in 20 and 25 fathoms, and there is no
want of fresh Water. The breach in the Reef which forms a Channell into
this harbour is 1/4 of a mile broad, steep too, on both sides, and the
same may be said of all the others, and in general there is no danger but
what is Visible.
The Island of Bolabola lies North-West by West from Otaha, distant 4
Leagues, it is incompassed by a reef of Rocks and several small Islands,
and the Circuit of the whole appear'd to be about 8 Leagues. On the
South-West side of the Islands (as I am inform'd) is an opening in the
Reef which admits of a Channell into a very good Harbour. This Island is
very remarkable on account of a high Craggy hill upon it, which
Terminates at Top in 2 Peaks, one higher than the other; this hill is so
perpendicular that it appears to be quite inaccessible. The land on
Ulietea and Otaha is of a very hilly, broken, and uneven surface, except
what borders upon the Sea Coast, and high withall, yet the Hills look
green and pleasant and are in many places cloathed with woods.
The Produce of these Islands, and manners and Customs of the Natives are
much the same as at King George's Island, only as the Bread fruit Tree is
here in not such plenty, the natives to supply that deficiency plant and
Cultivate a greater Quantity of Plantains and Yams of several sorts, and
these they have in the greatest Perfection.
The inhabitants are rather of a fairer Colour than the Generality of the
Natives of George's Island, but more especially the Women, who are much
fairer and handsomer, and the Men are not so much Addicted to thieving,
and are more Open and free in their behaviour.
The only differance we could see in their Religion was in the Houses of
their Gods, which were very different to those we saw on George's Island.
Those here were made about the Size and shape of a Coffin open at one
End; they are laid upon a Number of small Wooden Arches, which are fram'd
and fastned together like the Roof of a House, and these are generally
supported about 3 or 4 feet above the ground by Posts. Over the box is a
small roof or shade made of Palm thatch; in this Box are deposited the
Oblations of the Gods, such as Pieces of Cloth, Human bone, etc., and
these places they hold sacred, and some are placed in their Mories, and
some not. They have a Custom of preserving the Sculls and under Jaw bones
of the Dead, but wether of their Friends or Enemies I cannot pretend to
say. Several of the Sculls, we observed, were broke, and its very
probable that the owners of them had been kill'd in battle, as some of
their Weapons are well Calculated for breaking of Heads; and from what we
could learn it is a Custom with them to cut out the Lower jaw of their
Enemies, but I believe not before they are kill'd, and these they keep as
Trophies, and are sometimes hung up in their Houses.
The Chief or King of Bolabola hath of late Years Usurped the Sovereignty
of the other two, and the Bolabola men at this time possess great part of
the Lands on Ulietea and Otaha that they have taken from the Natives. The
Lands adjoining to the Harbours of Oraotanue belong'd to Tupia, the
Person we have on board, who is a Native of Ulietea. These people are
very ingenious in building their Proes or Canoes, and seem to take as
much Care of them, having large Shades or Houses to put them in, built
for the purpose, and in these houses they likewise build and repair them,
and in this they shew a great deal of ingenuity far more than one could
expect. They are built full Bellied, and after the very same Model as
those Six we saw on George's Island, which I have already described, and
some of them are full as large; it is more than probable that these 6
Proes were built at some of these Islands. In these Proes, or Pahies as
they call them, from all the accounts we can learn, these people sail in
those Seas from Island to Island for several hundred Leagues, the Sun
serving them for a Compass by day, and the Moon and Stars by night. When
this comes to be proved, we shall be no longer at a loss to know how the
Islands lying in those Seas came to be peopled; for if the inhabitants of
Ulietea have been at Islands laying 2 or 300 Leagues to the Westward of
them, it cannot be doubted but that the inhabitants of those Western
Islands may have been at others as far to Westward of them, and so we may
trace them from Island to Island quite to the East Indies.
Tupia tells us that during the months of November, December, and January
Westerly winds, with rain, prevail; and as the inhabitants of the Islands
know very well how to make the proper use of the winds, there will no
difficulty arise in Trading or Sailing from Island to Island, even tho'
they lie in an East and West direction.* (* This paragraph is from the
Admiralty copy of Cook's Journal. This fact is now well known. The
islands here described, the Society Islands of Cook, and now known as the
Leeward Group of the Society Islands, were generally under the dominion
of Tahiti. At the time of Cook's visit, the chief of Bolabola was supreme
over most of the group, and their tie to Tahiti was but slight. They are
all very beautiful and fertile. Within the last decade they have formally
been recognised as belonging to France.)
[Sail from Society Islands.]
REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES IN THE SOUTH SEAS.
Thursday, August 10th. P.M., Light Airs and Calm, remainder fresh breezes
and Cloudy. At 6 p.m. the South end of Ulietea South-East 1/2 East,
distant 4 Leagues; but I take my departure from the
Harbour, saild from in Latitude 16 degrees 46 minutes South, and
Longitude 151 degrees 27 minutes West. At 7 a.m. found the Variation to
be 5 degrees 50 minutes East. Wind Easterly; course South 16 degrees
West; distance 50 miles; Latitude observed 17 degrees 34 minutes South,
longitude 151 degrees 41 minutes West.
Friday, 11th. Fresh breezes and Clear weather. Wind East; course South 4
degrees West; distance 85 miles; latitude 18 degrees 59 minutes South,
longitude 151 degrees 45 minutes West.
Saturday, 12th. Gentle breezes and fair weather. Wind East, East by
North; course South 3/4 East; distance 77 miles; latitude 20 degrees 15
minutes South, longitude 151 degrees 36 minutes West.
Sunday, 13th. Moderate breezes and Clear weather. Variation 5 degrees 40
minutes East. Wind East by North; course South 16 degrees East; distance
96 miles; latitude 21 degrees 47 minutes South, longitude 151 degrees 9
minutes West.
Monday, 14th. Fresh breezes and fair weather. At 2 p.m. saw land bearing
South-East, which Tupia calls the Island of Ohetiroa.* (* Rurutu, one of
the Tubuai or Austral Group. They are now under French protectorate.) At
6 was within 2 or 3 Leagues of it, the Extreams bearing from South by
East to South-East; shortned sail and stood off and on all night; at 6
a.m. made Sail and stood in for the Land and run to Leeward of the
Island, keeping close in shore all the time, saw several of the Natives
as we run along shore, but in no great numbers. At 9 hoisted out the
Pinnace and sent Lieutenant Gore, Mr. Banks, and Tupia to Endeavour to
land upon the Island, and to speak with the Natives, and to try if they
could learn from them what lands lay to the Southward of us, and likewise
to see if there was Anchorage in a Bay which appear'd to our View, not
that I intended to Anchor or make any stay here. Wind North-North-East;
latitude 22 degrees 26 minutes South, longitude 150 degrees 55 minutes
West; at noon, Ohetiroa East 2 leagues.
Tuesday, 15th. Fresh breezes and fair weather. At 2 p.m. the Pinnace
return'd on board without landing, not but what it was practicable, but
they did not think it Altogether safe with only one Boat, as it would
have been attended with some danger on account of the Surf and Rocks upon
the Shore. The Natives were Arm'd, and Shewd no Signs either of fear or
Friendship. Some of them came off to the Boat in a Canoe, and had some
Nails and Beads given them; but with these they were not Satisfied,
thinking they had a right to everything in the Boat, and at last grew so
Troublesome that in order to get clear of them our People were obliged to
fire some Musquets, but with no intent to hurt any of them; however, it