# The Life and Voyages of Captain James Cook/Chapter 15

Discovery of New Caledonia. Eclipse of the sun observed there. Peaceful disposition of the natives. Their language, manners, houses, and plantations. Poisonous fish. Sundry incidents on shore. Breed of dogs, and of hogs, left. Coast explored, not without danger. Voyage to the S.E. end of the island. Remarkable pines. Dangerous shoals. Part of the coast left unexamined. Norfolk Isle discovered: its productions. Arrival at Queen Charlotte's Sound. Friendly intercourse and trade with the natives. Upper part of the Sound examined. Rumours relating to the Adventure. Horrible fate of a boat's crew belonging to that ship, as related by Lieut. Burney. Sequel of the Adventure's Voyage.
Taking his departure from Cape Lisburne, on the 31st of August, our navigator steered towards the south-west, and on the 4th of September made another interesting discovery, coming in sight of one of the largest islands hitherto met with in the south Pacific,—the island which he named New Caledonia. A high promontory seen on the coast, was called Cape Colnett, after the midshipman who first observed it. The land was found to stretch from S.E. to N.W.; and the place to which the Resolution was approaching, was near the N.W. extremity, where there was an island called Balabea. The coast, like that of New Holland, was skirted by a reef; and a safe channel being found, the ship passed through, and anchored near a small sandy isle, which was named Observatory ​Isle, because on this spot the astronomical apparatus was set up, and an eclipse of the sun observed on the 6th, by Capt. Cook, Mr. Wales, and Lieut. Clerke; who found the latitude to be 20° 17' 39" S., the longitude 164° 41' 21" E. Mr. Wales measured the quantity eclipsed by a Hadley's quadrant, a method never thought of before; and it was found to answer the purpose of a micrometer.
As soon as the ship came to an anchor, a great number of natives gathered around her, in sixteen or eighteen canoes, rudely constructed, but resembling those of the Friendly Isles. The people had already shewn themselves very obliging, to the men employed in sounding the channel, presenting them with fish, for which they received medals and other articles and now their behaviour was peaceful and friendly, most of them being without any sort of weapon. Though shy at first, they were soon persuaded to come alongside, and receive presents; for which they returned some fish, that was by no means fresh. At length two of them having ventured on board, the ship was presently crowded; and several being in the cabin at dinner time, partook of some yams; but had no mind to taste the pease soup, salt beef, and pork. They spoke a language akin to that of Tanna; for yams, which are named Oofee at Tanna, are here termed Oobee; and the principal chief, whose title at Tanna and the Friendly Isles is the Areeke, is here designated the Aleeke. They were curious in examining every thing on board; but had no name for goats, hogs, dogs, or cats; these animals being all new to them. They shewed a fondness for spike-nails, and pieces of cloth, especially red cloth. The men wore only a belt and wrapper, and per​sons of note had on their head a concave cylindrical stiff black cap. The females, who were very chaste, wore a short, thick petticoat, made of the fibres of the plantain tree. Both had ear-rings, necklaces, bracelets, and other ornaments. They were afterwards observed to cover themselves occasionally with coarse garments, made of matting, when resting in their canoes.
After dinner, the Captain and some friends, attended by a native who attached himself to him, landed on a sandy beach, in presence of a great multitude, who were unarmed and very courteous. Presents were made to several persons, whom the Captain's friend pointed out to him as men of note; but when he was holding out some beads and medals towards the women who stood behind the crowd, his friend held back his hand. Among the company was a stout young man, named Teabooma, the chief of the district Balade, where they now were. The first part of his name seemed to be an honorary title; for the Captain was honoured by his friend with the designation Tea-Cook; and the chief of Balabea was named Tea-bi. This young chief gave the Captain and his party a friendly reception; and having called for silence, the people listened attentively, while he delivered a short speech and soon after, another chief, having called for silence, made a speech also. Their speeches, supposed to be in favour of their visitors, were well received; and at the close of each sentence, two or three old men responded, by nodding their heads, and uttering a kind of grunt.
The Captain having inquired for fresh water, his friend guided him in the boat to a narrow creek or river, about two miles to the eastward: and ​they landed at a straggling village, where were some well cultivated plantations of sugar-canes, yams, plantains, cocoa-nuts, and taro roots; and these plantations, particularly the rows of taro root, were watered by little rills, carefully led hither by art, from a stream that decended from the hills. Some roots were baking on a fire, in an earthen jar, capable of holding six or eight gallons. In going up the creek, which was beset with mangroves, Mr. Forster shot a duck, which was the first use of fire-arms this people saw: the Captain's friend begged to have it, and on landing, told his countrymen in what way it was killed. The country being generally barren, the natives could not be expected to bring large supplies; and among the hundreds that visited the ship next day, not one brought any eatables, except this friend, who presented a few roots. Others exchanged clubs and darts, for nails and pieces of cloth. On the 6th, Lieutenant Pickersgill found out a better watering place, nearer the ship; where plentiful supplies of wood could also be got. This day, the ship's butcher, Simon Monk, a man much esteemed, died in consequence of having fallen down the forehatchway, the night preceding.
In the morning of the 7th, the Captain and a party of friends took an excursion through the country, and ascended some hills in the neighbourhood, from whence they saw another ridge of hills running parallel to this; and between the two ridges, a large valley, where flowed a serpentine river, on the banks of which were villages and plantations. Through two openings in the opposite ridge, the sea was visible; and the entire breadth of the island at this place was found not to exceed ​ten leagues. The hills in both ridges consisted chiefly of barren rocks; the country bearing a great resemblance, in several respects, to some parts of New South Wales, under the same parallel of latitude. Some of the plantations of the natives were passed in returning; and these seemed to be laid out, and managed, with considerable judgment. Bread-fruit is scarce with them, and the cocoa-nuts are small. Their houses are mostly circular, and several of them rather neat, with side walls about 41/2 feet high, and a lofty peaked roof, surmounted by a tall ornamented post. The door posts are occasionally carved. They make a kind of tables within, with posts and cross spars; but having no vents, their houses are always smoky.
In the evening, the Captain, officers, and scientific gentlemen, were again in danger of being poisoned by eating a new kind of fish. The Captain's clerk purchased a fish that was struck by a native in the afternoon; resembling a sunfish, with a long, ugly head. It was ordered for supper; but providentially so much time was occupied in making a drawing and description of it, that it was too late; so that only the liver and roe were drest, of which none but the Captain and Messrs. Forster tasted. About three o'clock next morning, they were seized with an extraordinary weakness and numbness all over their limbs, and lost the sense of feeling to such a degree, that a feather, and a quart pot full of water, held in the hand, seemed to be of the same weight. By the help of an emetic, and a sweat, they were soon relieved; but it was three days before they were quite well. A pig, that had eaten the entrails, was found dead in the morning. When the na​tives came on board, and saw the fish hanging up, they expressed their abhorrence of it, as unfit for food; but none had done so when the fish was bought. In other respects, these people were as strictly honest as the natives of Mallicollo.
On the 8th, Tea-booma sent a few yams and sugar-canes as a present; and the Captain, in return, sent him a pair of dogs, male and female. When the chief received them from the officer on shore, he was lost in an extasy of joy, and could hardly believe his ears and eyes. Next day, an albino was seen among those who came alongside the ship: the whiteness of his skin was evidently the effect of disease or accident. The inhabitants, in general, are stout, and well made, and several of them tall. A few were found who measured 6 feet 4 inches. In one of their excursions, the naturalists met with the grave of a chief: it was like a large mole-hill, decorated with spears, darts, paddles, &c., all stuck upright in the ground round about it. Many new plants, and beautiful birds, were found by Mr. Forster and his party.
Early on the 9th, the Captain sent Lieutenant Pickersgill and Mr. Gilbert, with the launch and cutter, to explore the west coast. They visited Balabea, where Teabi and his people received them courteously. When the natives crowded around them, they drew a line on the ground, and signified that the people must not pass it. To this restriction they submitted, and one of them, rather humorously, turned it soon after to his own advantage; for, having some cocoa-nuts which one of the men wanted to buy, and which he was unwilling to part with, he retired to another part of the sand, and sitting down, made a circle round ​him, intimating to the stranger that he must not come within it; a prohibition to which he too yielded. The party made few discoveries; their progress, especially in their return on the 11th, was much impeded by squally winds: the cutter was nearly lost, by suddenly filling with water, and they were obliged to throw several things overboard, before they could free her, and stop the leak she had sprung.
The Captain resolving to leave a breed of hogs, as well as of dogs, in this island, took a young boar and sow in a boat for Teabooma, on the 12th, and landed with them in the mangrove creek, at the village which he first visited in quest of water. Being informed that the chief lived at some distance, he told the guide who had conducted the party to the hills, that he intended to leave the hogs here; but when he offered them to a grave old man, the latter shook his head, and with others present, desired them: to be taken into the boat again. The Captain not offering to comply with their wishes, the guide, after some consultation, desired him to take them to the Aleeke, the local chief. Accordingly, the party, conducted by the guide, conveyed them to a house in which eight or ten middle aged persons were seated in a circle. The Captain and his present being introduced, he was courteously desired to sit down; and then he began to expatiate on the merits of his pigs, shewing how many young ones the female might produce, and how soon they might be multiplied to hundreds. This he did. to enhance their value in the eyes of the natives, that they might take more care of them. They presented him with six yams; upon which he took leave of them, and went on board.
​Having got the cutter repaired, and the supplies of wood and water completed, the Captain, after inscribing on a large tree at the watering place, the ship's name, date, &c., took leave of this kind and good natured people, and prepared to sail in the morning of the 13th. As Mr. Gilbert thought he saw the N.W. end of the island, Capt. Cook proposed to go round that end, and examine the opposite coast of New Caledonia. Accordingly, after getting outside the reef, on tuesday morning, he steered toward the N.W.; but it soon appeared, that the island extended in that direction beyond what Mr. Gilbert had observed; shoals and sandy isles were also seen to abound toward that extremity of the country; and while there appeared no good channel to pass through the reef, the latter was found to diverge widely from the island; so that, in following its course, the Resolution was, on thursday, far out of sight of land. Upon this, our navigator, not knowing how far this circuitous route might lead him from the present object of research, altered his plan, and returned to follow the coast of New Caledonia towards the S.E., as originally intended. In retracing his course on thursday afternoon, he was in danger of being driven against the reef by a tremendous swell, during an interval of calm; but a light breeze, aided by a favourable current, soon carried the ship into the open sea.
On saturday, the 17th, he was opposite his late anchorage at Observatory Isle. Proceeding in his course towards the S.E., he stood in for the coast, on tuesday, the 20th, to get a nearer view of it; and observed that the country had much the same appearance as at Balade. He again stood off; ​and pursuing his voyage at some distance from the shore, he observed, on the 22nd, a lofty promontory, which he named Cape Coronation. Another beyond it, seen next day, he called Queen Charlotte's Foreland: it proved to be the most easterly point of the main land. Beyond this foreland, many low isles and breakers were seen; which made it necessary to proceed with caution. The largest and most easterly isle in that quarter, on which there was a hill, was named the Isle of Pines, as many tall pine-trees were growing on it. Such pines were observed in great numbers about Cape Coronation, and in other parts of the coast, and had given rise to curious speculations. The philosophers on board maintained, that they were clusters of basaltic columns, the Giant's Causeway of New Caledonia; and having in their heads, it seems, the notions of a great central fire, lately broached by Buffon, they connected with this fire the smoke that arose, in considerable quantities, from among the pines; although the Captain reminded them, that no smoke was seen there in the morning, and that their supposed great fire went out at night: the smoke having doubtless proceeded from the fires in the huts, erected in the woods.
Having sailed round the Isle of Pines, and advanced toward the west on the other side of it, the Resolution was again in a perilous situation, among rocks and shoals; and the night of the 28th was spent in much anxiety and fear. The return of daylight on the 29th, shewed that there was good cause for apprehension, the breakers having been very near the ship all night. "We owed our safety," says the Captain, "to the interposition of Providence, a good look-out, and the very brisk ​manner in which the ship was managed; for, as we were standing to the north, the people on the lee-gangway and forecastle saw breakers under the lee-bow, which we escaped by quickly tacking the ship." Having cast anchor near a small isle, which from the abundance of plants it afforded was named Botany Isle, the Captain and the naturalists went ashore in a boat, and enjoyed themselves in examining the productions of the place, particularly the pines, which had been the subject of dispute. They proved to be a kind of spruce pine, tall, straight, and with short branches; excellently adapted for masts and spars. A few of the smaller trees were cut down for spars, and taken on board. Some of the pines were so large and tall, that one of them would have done very well for a fore-mast to the Resolution, had one been wanted: and much larger trees were seen on the main land, and in the Isle of Pines.
When the Resolution, by returning a little towards the S.E., escaped with some difficulty out of this labyrinth of rocks, shoals, and sandy isles, our navigator intended to proceed round the south point of New Caledonia, which he named Prince of Wales's Foreland, and explore the other side of this large island; notwithstanding the difficulties. and dangers presented by reefs and sand banks: but when he got into the open sea, on saturday, Oct. 1st, he was compelled by strong westerly winds to abandon his design. He regretted that he had not got the small vessel set up, of which the frame work was on board; as in that case, he might have used the small vessel in examining the other side of New Caledonia, while the Resolution might have remained at anchor. It was ​now too late to adopt this plan, as he had yet extensive researches to make in the southern ocean, and the season for making them was fast advancing: hence, as the strong westerly winds continued for some days, he had no alternative but to pursue his course to the S.E.
On saturday, Oct. 8th, Mr. Cooper struck a large porpoise, or dolphin, with a harpoon; and being killed, after some exertion, it afforded a welcome meal of fresh meat. On the 10th, a high island was discovered, 5 leagues in circuit, which was named Norfolk Isle. The Captain and his scientific friends landed, and were the first human beings that set foot on the island, which was quite in a state of nature. They found many trees and plants common at New Zealand, particularly the flax plant; but the chief produce of the island is a spruce pine, of a sort between that of New Zealand, and that of New Caledonia. Some of the trees were very large, and of a great height. They obtained here a supply of delicious food from the cabbage palm, with a quantity of wood sorrel, samphire, and other vegetables. Pigeons, parrots, parroquets, and many other birds, resembling those of New Zealand, were observed.
From hence our navigators steered for New Zealand; and, on monday, Oct. 17th, they came in sight of Mount Egmont, covered with everlasting snow; and, on tuesday morning, they reached Queen Charlotte's Sound, and anchored before Ship Cove. The Captain's first care was, to see if the bottle which he had left, with a letter to Capt. Furneaux, had been taken away; and he found that it was gone, but no memorial left in its place, to indicate when, or by whom, it was taken. Yet ​soon after, it was perceived, by indubitable tokens, that the Adventure had been at the Cove, after the Resolution had left it: for some trees that were left standing, had been cut down with saws and axes; and a place was seen where an observatory, &c., had been set up, in a different spot from that which Mr. Wales occupied.
Immediate attention was paid to the repairing and caulking of the ship; for which purpose, the forge, tents, and other requisites, were set up. In the mean time, the health of his people was, as usual, an object of peculiar care, with our humane navigator. Fresh vegetables were prepared for the ship's company, at breakfast and dinner, over and above their customary allowance. The gardens, formerly sown and planted, were found in a thriving state, although quite neglected by the natives: and it was afterwards ascertained, that the fowls and hogs left here, had not perished. To ensure more fully the breed of pigs, a boar and sow were left in a cove, during the present visit.
On the 24th, two canoes with natives were seen coming down the Sound; but, on seeing the ship, they retired behind a point. The Captain went with a boat's crew to seek them; some birds were shot by the way, and the report of the muskets announced his approach. The natives shewed themselves in Shag Cove, and began to halloo; but when the boat approached, they all fled into the woods, except two or three men, who stood on a rising ground, with arms in their hands. As soon as the Captain and his friends landed, the natives instantly knew them, and received them with lively demonstrations of joy; and the rest, hurrying back out of the woods, participated in the ​same feeling, embracing their British friends over and over again, and leaping and skipping about in exstasy. It was remarked, however, that the men would not suffer the women to approach: they stood looking on at a distance. When the Captain and his comrades, recognising some of their old acquaintance, asked for others by name, and inquired why they were afraid when the boat appeared; they talked much about killing, an answer which our people did not then understand. Quantities of fine fish were purchased of them, both now and on subsequent days; knives, hatchets, Tahitian cloth, &c., being given in exchange. On tuesday, Nov. 1st, part of another family, or tribe, came from the upper part of the Sound, and carried on trade for some days; their chief commodity being green talc, which found a ready market.
On saturday the 4th, the Captain, with Messrs. Forsters and Sparrman, went in the pinnace, to explore the upper part of the Sound; and, among other new discoveries, they found an opening eastward into Cook's Strait. Within the entrance to this opening, they met with a large settlement of the natives, at a place called Kotieghenooee. The chief, Tringo-boohee, and his people, some of whom had lately visited the ship, received them with great courtesy. Having to return in the pinnace in the evening, they had no time to examine this village minutely, nor to visit a large heppah, or stronghold, which they saw further up, nor to look into the many interesting coves which they passed. While the Captain, by such excursions, added considerably to his knowledge of the country, Mr. Wales was making new ​observations, at Ship Cove; and from the result of his observations, our navigator found, and candidly acknowledges, that in his chart of New Zealand, he had laid down the southern island about 40' too far east; while the northern part of the country was found to be laid down with much more correctness.
Among the natives who visited the Cove, was a man of some note, named Pedero, who presented Capt. Cook with a staff of honour, such as the chiefs generally carry. In return, the Captain dressed him in a suit of old clothes, of which he was not a little proud. He had a fine personal appearance, and but for his colour, might have passed for a European. He dined on board, on the 6th, partook of every thing at table, and drank more wine than any one present, without being affected by it. On the 9th, when he and his people brought a large supply of fish, the Captain gave him an empty oil jar, which made him as happy as a prince. In the afternoon, the Captain, with a party, went into one of the coves, where two families of natives were variously employed. While some were roasting fish and fir roots, a girl was heating stones; and this being an unusual thing, the party remained to see what was to be done with them. She gave them, when heated, to an old woman who was sitting in the hut. The latter placed them in a heap, laid over them a handful of green celery, which she covered with a coarse mat; and then squatted herself down on the top of all; thus making a kind of Dutch warming-pan, on which she sat as close as a hare on her seat. This she appeared to do for a medicinal purpose, especially as she looked sickly or diseased.
​As the New Zealanders were afraid of the British, on their arrival, and spoke to Capt. Cook in a mysterious way about killing, so a variety of reports were afterwards received from different quarters, which made him anxious about the fate of the Adventure. It was stated, that a ship like the Resolution had been lost in the Strait, that some of the people got on shore, that the natives stole their clothes, &c., for which several of them were shot; that afterwards, when they could fire no longer, the natives mastered them, killed them with their patoo-patoos, and then devoured them. The persons who brought these reports, added, that they themselves had no hand in the affair. They differed in their accounts, as to the time; but made signs to shew how the vessel had been dashed t pieces against the rocks. Such stories were told to Mr. Wales and others on shore; but when the Captain questioned the narrators on the subject, they denied every syllable they had said; so that he began to think, that these stories might refer to some of their own vessels, and their own quarrels. One day, when he had got Pedero and another into a communicative mood, he inquired if the Adventure had been here during his absence; and they stated, that she had arrived soon after his departure, had staid between ten and twenty days, and had been gone ten months; and they also asserted, that neither the Adventure, nor any other ship, had been stranded on the coast. Still, as the reports first mentioned, though in different shapes, had been heard by Lieut. Pickersgill and others, at various times, the Captain was not without suspicion that some disaster had happened. The natives, indeed, when he questioned them on the ​subject, denied all knowledge of it: but the earnestness with which those who brought the report, declared that they themselves had no hand in the matter, indicated that some crime had been committed; and the behaviour of others shewed that there was something which they wished to conceal. They betrayed an aversion to be examined on this affair, and seemed angry at those who had mentioned it; nay, one man received a box on the ear for naming it to the British.
It was at a future stage of his voyage, that our navigator learned those unwelcome truths, which the fears of the New Zealanders now led them to conceal. A deplorable calamity had indeed befallen some of the Adventure's crew. On tuesday, November 30th, 1773, the Adventure, after much beating about, arrived in the Sound; where, by the letter left in the bottle, Capt. Furneaux found, that the Resolution had sailed six days before. Some time was spent in repairing the Adventure, and procuring supplies of wood and water; while a friendly trade for refreshments was carried on with the natives. On friday, December 17th, the ship being ready for sea, Capt. Furneaux sent the large cutter with a crew of ten men, including Mr. Rowe, a midshipman, who had the command, and Mr. Woodhouse, another midshipman, to gather wild greens for the ship's company; with orders to return that evening, as the ship was to sail next day. The boat, however, did not return in the evening; and Capt. Furneaux, being in great anxiety about her, hoisted out the launch next morning, and sent it with a boat's crew and ten marines, under the command of Lieut. Burney, to search for the cutter and her crew. This officer ​returned with the launch the same night, and brought an account of the melancholy fate of the cutter's crew; which will be best described in Lieut. Burney's own words.
"On the 18th, we left the ship; and having a light breeze in our favour, we soon got round Long Island, and within Long Point. I examined every cove, on the larboard hand, as we went along, looking well all around with a spy-glass, which I took for that purpose. At half past one, we stopped at a beach on the left hand side going up East Bay, to boil some victuals, as we brought nothing but raw meat with us. Whilst we were cooking, I saw an Indian on the opposite shore, running along a beach to the head of the bay. Our meat being drest, we got into the boat and put off; and, in a short time arrived at the head of this reach, where we saw an Indian settlement.
"As we drew near, some of the Indians came down on the rocks, and waved for us to be gone; but seeing we disregarded them, they altered their notes. Here we found six large canoes hauled up on the beach, most of them double ones, and a great many people; though not so many as one might expect, from the number of houses, and size of the canoes. Leaving the boat's crew to guard the boat, I stepped ashore with the marines (the corporal and five men), and searched a good many of their houses; but found nothing to give me any suspicion. Three or four well-beaten paths led farther into the woods, where were many more houses; but the people continuing friendly, I thought it unnecessary to continue our search. Coming down to the beach, one of the Indians had brought a bundle of hepatoos (long spears), but ​seeing I looked very earnestly at him, he put them on the ground, and walked about with seeming unconcern. Some of the people appearing to be frightened, I gave a looking-glass to one, and a large nail to another. From this place the bay ran, as nearly as I could guess, N.N.W. a good mile, where it ended in a long sandy beach. I looked all round with the glass, but saw no boat, canoe, or sign of inhabitant. I therefore contented myself with firing some guns, which I had done in every cove as I went along.
"I now kept close to the east shore, and came to another settlement, where the Indians invited us ashore. I inquired of them about the boat, but they pretended ignorance. They appeared very friendly here, and sold us some fish. Within an hour after we left this place, in a small beach adjoining to Grass Cove, we saw a very large double canoe just hauled up, with two men and a dog. The men, on seeing us, left their canoe, and ran up into the woods. This gave me reason to suspect, I should here get tidings of the cutter. We went ashore, and searched the canoe, where we found one of the rullock-ports of the cutter, and some shoes, one of which was known to belong to Mr. Woodhouse, one of our midshipmen. One of the people, at the same time, brought me a piece of meat, which he took to be some of the salt meat belonging to the cutter's crew. On examining this, and smelling it, I found it was fresh. Mr. Fannin (the Master) who was with me, supposed it was dog's-flesh, and I was of the same opinion; for I still doubted their being cannibals. But we were soon convinced by the most horrid and undeniable proof.
​"A great many baskets (about twenty) lying on the beach tied up, we cut them open. Some were full of roasted flesh, and some of fern-root, which serves them for bread. On farther search, we found more shoes, and a hand, which we immediately knew to have belonged to Thomas Hill, one of our forecastle men, it being marked T. H. with an Otaheite tattow-instrument. I went with some of the people, a little way up the woods, but saw nothing else. Coming down again, there was a round spot covered with fresh earth about four feet diameter, where something had been buried. Having no spade, we began to dig with a cutlass; and in the mean time, I launched the canoe, with intent to destroy her; but seeing a great smoke ascending over the nearest hill, I got all the people into the boat, and made what haste I could to be with them before sun-set.
"On opening the next bay, which was Grass Cove, we saw four canoes, one single and three double ones, and a great many people on the beach, who, on our approach, retreated to a small hill, within a ship's length of the water-side, where they stood talking to us. A large fire was on the top of the high land, beyond the woods, from whence, all the way down the hill, the place was thronged like a fair. As we came in, I ordered a musquetoon to be fired at one of the canoes, suspecting they might be full of men lying down in the bottom; for they were all afloat, but nobody was seen in them. The savages on the little hill, still kept hallooing, and making signs for us to land. However, as soon as we got close in, we all fired. The first volley did not seem to affect them much; but on the second, they began to scramble away as fast ​as they could, some of them howling. We continued firing as long as we could see the glimpse of any of them through the bushes. Amongst the Indians were two very stout men, who never offered to move till they found themselves forsaken by their companions; and then they marched away with great composure and deliberation, their pride not suffering them to run. One of them, however, got a fall; and either lay there, or crawled off on all fours. The other got clear, without any apparent hurt. I then landed with the marines, and Mr. Fannin stayed to guard the boat.
"On the beach were two bundles of celery, which had been gathered for loading the cutter. A broken oar was stuck upright in the ground, to which the natives had tied their canoes; a proof that the attack had been made here. I then searched all along at the back of the beach, to see if the cutter was there. We found no boat; but instead of her, such a shocking scene of carnage and barbarity as can never be mentioned or thought of but with horror; for the heads, hearts, and lungs of several of our people, were seen lying on the beach, and, at a little distance, the dogs gnawing their entrails.
"Whilst we remained almost stupified on the spot, Mr. Fannin called to us, that he heard the savages gathering together in the woods; on which I returned to the boat, and hauling alongside the canoes, we demolished three of them. Whilst this was transacting, the fire on the top of the hill disappeared; and we could hear the Indians in the woods at high words; I suppose quarrelling, whether or no they should attack us, and try to save their canoes. It now grew dark, I therefore just stepped out, and looked once more behind the ​beach, to see if the cutter had been hauled up in the bushes; but seeing nothing of her, returned and put off. Our whole force would have been barely sufficient to have gone up the hill; and to have ventured with half (for half must have been left to guard the boat) would have been foolhardiness.
"As we opened the upper part of the Sound, we saw a very large fire about three or four miles higher up, which formed a complete oval, reaching from the top of a hill down almost to the waterside, the middle space being inclosed all round by the fire, like a hedge. I consulted with Mr. Fannin, and we were both of opinion, that we could expect to reap no other advantage than the poor satisfaction of killing some more of the savages. At leaving Grass Cove, we had fired a general volley towards where we heard the Indians talking; but, by going in and out of the boat, the arms had got wet, and four pieces missed fire. What was still worse, it began to rain; our ammunition was more than half expended; and we left six large canoes behind us in one place. With so many disadvantages, I did not think it worth while to proceed, where nothing could be hoped for but revenge.
"Coming between two round islands, situated to the southward of East Bay, we imagined we heard somebody calling; we lay on our oars, and listened, but heard no more of it: we hallooed several times, but to little purpose; the poor souls were far enough out of hearing; and indeed, I think it some comfort to reflect, that in all probability, every man of them must have been killed on the spot."
Such is Lieut. Burney's report, concerning the tragical fate of those ten brave fellows; who, after ​encountering so many dangers, and performing such arduous services, for their King and country, were barbarously slaughtered and devoured by the cannibals of New Zealand. Had the party been of sufficient force to have ascended the hill near them, on the top of which they saw a large fire, they might there have seen the flesh of their comrades roasting for a banquet to the crowd of savages met. on the spot, or they might have seen their bones from which the flesh had been already picked. Some of the remains found on the beach they brought on board; including the hand of Thomas Hill, another hand which was known to be Mr. Rowe's, and the head of Capt. Furneaux's black servant. These remains were solemnly committed to the deep. None of their arms nor clothes were found, except part of a pair of trowsers, a frock, and six shoes, no two of which were fellows. As it appeared certain that the whole boat's crew had perished, Capt. Furneaux did not think it prudent to risk another boat up the Sound, to make any further inquiry; and as none of the natives were seen during the next four days, while the ship was detained by contrary winds, nothing more was then known on the subject.
Pedero and others who now visited Capt. Cook, and who had no hand in the massacre themselves, could easily have given him a true narrative of this event, had they not dreaded incurring his displeasure. It was when he visited this place again, in his third voyage, that he ascertained the particulars of this melancholy affair. Mr. Rowe and the boat's crew, having collected the bundles of celery, had sat down to dinner, while several natives were near them, headed by a chief named ​Kahoora. No premeditated attack was intended by him or his people; but some of them having snatched some bread and fish from the seamen, while another was stealing something out of the boat, then in charge of the Captain's black servant, the delinquents were chastised with blows. This immediately produced a quarrel, when two muskets were fired, by which two of the natives were shot dead; and before another shot could be fired, the savages, who were greatly superior in numbers, rushed furiously upon our people, and destroyed them all. Had they prudently forborne to resent so hastily the petty thefts committed, no bloodshed might have ensued, and the horrible catastrophe might have been prevented. The boat was said to have been pulled in pieces and burnt.
To avoid the necessity of recurring again to the subject, it may be proper here to glance at the sequel of the Adventure's voyage. After passing through Cook's Strait, on the 23rd of December, Capt. Furneaux steered in a S.E. direction, and then proceeded eastward; and meeting with no interruption, he was abreast of Cape Horn in little more than a month. He then attempted to discover the land laid down by Bouvet; but his endeavours to find it proving fruitless, he bore away for the Cape of Good Hope, where he arrived on the 19th of March, 1774. Here he remained about a month, to refit his ship and refresh his people; and then sailing for England, he anchored at Spithead on the 14th of July. Omai arrived safely in the Adventure, and was the first Tahitian who set foot on our shores.