On the 20th, in 54 degrees 18 minutes North, 195 degrees 45 minutes East, a volcano throwing out dense smoke was observed; and in the afternoon they received a visit from a man who had evidently been in contact with Europeans, for he was wearing green cloth breeches and a stuff jacket. He took off his cap and bowed as the visitor to the Discovery had done, but unfortunately they were unable to understand his language.
On 26th June they had a narrow escape during a thick fog, when it was not possible to see anything a hundred yards away. Breakers were heard, so the anchors were let go and fortunately held. An hour or so after the fog lifted, and they found themselves about three-quarters of a mile from a rocky island, having pa.s.sed between two elevated rocks, a place through with, Cook says, "I should have ventured on a clear day," for all that they found themselves in "such an anchoring place that I could not have chosen a better."
ANDERSON DIES.
On 27th June they were off the island of Onalaschka, and came across a party of natives who were towing two whales they had killed; they were somewhat shy, but had evidently seen ships before, and were more polite than those previously met with. One was upset from his canoe, and Cook took him down into the cabin and provided him with dry clothes; "he dressed himself with as much ease as I could have done." His clothes were of birds" skins, the feathers inside, and patched in places with silk, and over all he wore a sort of shirt of whale"s intestine, which, secured round the edge of the hole in which he sat in his canoe, rendered him practically waterproof. Whilst in this neighbourhood they received a second letter in Russian, but having no one on board who could translate, it was returned with some presents to the bearer, who retired bowing his thanks. After some detention from fogs and adverse winds they got away once more and pushed slowly northwards. On 3rd August Mr. Anderson the surgeon, who had been ill for some months, died, and Cook, having named an island, sighted soon after his death, Anderson"s Island, "to perpetuate the memory of the deceased, for whom I had a very great regard," appointed Mr. Law to the Resolution and Mr. Samwell to the Discovery as surgeons.
On 9th August, Cape Prince of Wales, 65 degrees 46 minutes North, 191 degrees 45 minutes East, was sighted, and they believed it to be the most westerly point of North America. They landed on what, from Heydinger"s Chart, was the eastern end of the island of Alaska, but it afterwards was found to be the eastern extremity of Asia. This chart, says Burney, was found "not only to be incorrect but almost unintelligible." The country was very desolate, neither tree nor shrub to be seen, and the inhabitants seemed afraid of their visitors, though not absolutely unfriendly. They were taller and stouter than those on the American side, and their clothing very superior.
The ships fell in with the ice blink on the 17th, in 70 degrees 33 minutes North, 197 degrees 41 minutes East, rather earlier than had been expected, and soon afterwards with the ice itself in the shape of a large field extending as far as the eye could reach from west to east. Here they got a supply of fresh meat in the shape of sea-horse, of which animal they killed a good many. The flesh was fishy and indifferent eating, but Cook says anything was preferable to salt meat.
They still slowly but steadily pushed north along the American sh.o.r.e, but, being hampered by fog and ice, they crossed over to the west side with no better fortune, for on the 26th they found themselves embayed in the field with large quant.i.ties of heavy loose ice along the edges.
Having sighted Cape North on 29th August, Cook decided the season was too far advanced, and that it would be better to proceed to winter quarters, and accordingly ran down the Asiatic coast in search of wood and water, of which he stood in need; but was disappointed, and making over to the other side was fortunate to find a considerable quant.i.ty of driftwood which served his purpose. Before leaving the straits, Cook remarks:
"In justice to Behring"s memory, I must say he delineated this coast very well, and fixed the lat.i.tude and longitude of the points better than could be expected from the methods he had to go by."
SALMON PIE.
Anchoring in Norton Sound, Cook sent away the boats to explore, and set to work to determine between the correctness of the chart drawn by Stocklin and his own observations, and after a series of no less than seventy-seven sets of observations he was able to show that Stocklin was wrong. It was at this place that he decided to winter in the Sandwich Islands, as a port in Kamtschatka would oblige his crews to remain idle for nearly six months before further exploration to the north could be undertaken. The course was now set for Samgoonoodha Harbour, but they did not arrive there till 3rd October, having met with very heavy weather, in which the Resolution again began to leak badly. On 8th September an Indian brought a singular present in the form of a pie made like a loaf, containing some highly seasoned salmon, accompanied by a letter in Russian. In return Corporal Ledyard of the Marines, "an intelligent man,"
was sent with a few bottles of rum, wine, and porter, to obtain further information, and with orders, if he met with any Russians, he was to "make them understand that we were English, Friends, and Allies." On the 10th Ledyard returned, bringing three Russian sailors, but as there was no interpreter there was difficulty in understanding anything thoroughly.
One of the newcomers was understood to say he had been out with Behring, but Cook thought he was too young. They appeared to have great respect for that officer, and Ledyard said he had seen a sloop which he understood was his ship. They stayed on the Resolution all night, and promised to return with a chart of the islands that lay between that place and Kamtschatka. It was understood that there were several settlements in the immediate neighbourhood employing altogether about four hundred Russians.
LETTERS TO LONDON.
On the 14th Cook and Webber were at an Indian village a short distance from the ships, when they saw a canoe arrive containing three men and accompanied by some twenty or thirty single canoes. A tent was rigged up for one of the first three, a Russian named Ismyloff (Ismailoff) the chief trader of the district, whilst the others made shelters of their canoes and gra.s.s, and so all were independent of the Indians. Ismailoff invited Cook to join him at his meal, which consisted of dried salmon and berries, and some sort of conversation was carried on by means of signs and figures. Ismailoff proved to be well acquainted with the geography of the district, and pointed out several errors in the modern maps. He said he had been with Lieutenant Lindo"s expedition as far north as Tchukotskoi Nos, and saw Clerke"s Island; but when he could or would not say what else they had done during the two years the expedition was out, Cook began to have doubts. He also said the Russians had several times tried to gain a footing on the American sh.o.r.e, but the Indians had driven them off with the loss of two or three of their leaders. He also spoke of a sledge expedition in 1773 to three islands opposite the Kolyma River, which Cook thought might be the one mentioned by Muller, he related that he had sailed, in 1771, from a Russian settlement called Bolscheretski, in the Kurile Islands, to j.a.pan, but the ship was ordered away because they were Christians, so they went to Canton and sailed on a French ship to France, and from thence he went to Petersburg, and was then sent out again. He was quite clear as to his dates, and put them on paper; but as he was perfectly ignorant of any French, "not even the names of the commonest articles," though he had been such a long time amongst French people, Cook was again inclined to be sceptical. He stayed all night, dining with Clerke, and returned again on the 19th, with charts, which he permitted to be copied, and some ma.n.u.scripts. One chart showed the Asiatic coast as far as 41 degrees North, with the Kurile Islands and Kamtschatka, and the second, the more interesting to the English, showed the discoveries made by the Russians to the east of Kamtschatka, exclusive of the voyages of Behring and Tcherikoff. Cook found the longitudes in places were very different from those on the Russian maps, and was afraid the mistake might be carried through, but the lat.i.tudes were fairly correct. As far as he could ascertain, the instrument used for the survey had been the theodolite. Before leaving, Ismailoff gave Cook letters for the Governor of Kamtschatka and the Commandant of Petropaulowsk; and Cook, finding "he was tolerably well versed in astronomy," gave him a Hadley"s octant, and though it was the first one he had seen, he soon made himself acquainted with its uses. A letter to the English Admiralty was also entrusted to him to be forwarded via Petersburg, as opportunity might offer. This letter and a chart of the northern coasts was delivered in London the following year.
On 26th October the two ships got away, and, in case of separation, Clerke was given his rendezvous, first, the Sandwich Islands, and second, Petropaulowsk in the middle of May. On 28th the discovery met with a nasty accident during a gale; the fore and main tacks carried away, killing one man, and seriously injuring the boatswain and two others. On 25th November the islands were sighted, and the customary orders as to the officers appointed to trade with the natives were issued, and no curiosities were to be purchased before the ships had received satisfactory supplies. They first called in at Mowee, where the natives soon came out and appeared friendly, and traded with less suspicion than any of the South Sea Islanders they had met with before.
Having procured a quant.i.ty of sugar-cane, Cook ordered it to be used in brewing, as he found a strong decoction of the juice produced a wholesome and palatable beer, and would enable him to save the spirits for the colder climates. However, the crews would have none of it, so Cook and his officers made use of it whenever cane was procurable, and gave himself:
"no trouble either to oblige or persuade them to drink it, knowing there was no danger of scurvy so long as we had plenty of other vegetables, but that I might not be disappointed in my views, I gave orders that no grog should be served in either ship." He then goes on to say: "Every innovation whatever, tho" ever so much to their advantage, is sure to meet with the highest disapprobation from seaman. Portable soup and sour kraut were at first both condemned by them as stuff not fit for human beings to eat. Few men have introduced into their ships more novelties in the way of victuals and drink than I have done; indeed, few men have had the same opportunity or been driven to the same necessity. It has, however, in a great measure been owing to such little innovations that I have always kept my people, generally speaking, free from that dreadful distemper, the Scurvy."
This extract shows how bitterly Cook felt the stupid ingrat.i.tude of his men for the constant care he took of them, and is one of the very few pa.s.sages in his Journals in which he speaks in their disfavour. This, curiously, was erased by some unknown hand; King a.s.serts it must have been done by Gore, as he is certain it was not by either Cook or Clerke, who took command after Cook"s death.
FAULTY SAILS.
In trying to weather the south-east end of Mowee in heavy weather, the leach ropes of the main topsail and two topgallant sails gave way, and the sails were blown to pieces. Cook says, "neither the cordage, canvas, nor indeed hardly any other stores used in the Navy, are equal in quality to those in general use in the merchant service"; and he relates how such failures have constantly resulted in "infinite trouble, vexation, and loss." He ill.u.s.trates his complaint by the fact that rigging, blocks, and sails that were purchased with his ship, although they had been fourteen months in use, wore longer than any of the things of the same kind put on board new from the king"s stores.
On 24th December they succeeded in getting to windward of the island, but the signal to the Discovery to tack having been omitted she stood on, and it was some days before she rejoined company. January 1779 was ushered in with heavy rain, but clearing away before noon they were able to approach to about five miles from the sh.o.r.e, where they lay to and traded with the natives. The next three days were spent working slowly down the coast and keeping a good look-out for their consort, occasionally stopping to do a little trading with the islanders, some of whom came as much as fifteen miles out to them. The chief article of commerce was salt, which was of very good quality. On the 5th January the southern point of Owhyhee was rounded, and they lay off a large village, where they were quickly surrounded by canoes laden "with hogs and women": the latter are not held up as patterns of all the virtues. Vegetables seemed to be scarce, and Cook concluded that either the land could not produce them, or the crops had been destroyed by volcanic action, very recent traces of which were to be seen.
"Wednesday 6th January 1779. The next morning the people visited us again, bringing with them the same articles as before. Being near the sh.o.r.e I sent Mr. Bligh, the Master, in a boat to sound the coast, with orders to land and look for fresh water. On his return he reported that at two cable lengths from the sh.o.r.e he had no soundings with a 160 fathoms of line; that when he landed he found no fresh water, but rain water lying in holes in the rocks, and that brackish with the spray of the sea, and that the surface of the country was wholly composed of large slags and ashes, here and there partly covered with plants. Between 10 and 11 o"clock we saw the Discovery coming round the south point of the Island and at 1 P.M. she joined us, when Captain Clerke came on board and informed me that he had cruised four or five days where we were separated and then plyed round the last part of the Island, but meeting with unfavourable winds, was carried some distance from the coast. He had one of the islanders on board all the time; it was his own choice, nor did not leave them the first opportunity that offered."
This is the last entry made by Cook in the Journal he was preparing for publication, and is a fair sample of the manner in which the entire Journal was written, and certainly does not justify the sneers that have been uttered about bad grammar and spelling, the double negative notwithstanding. In handwriting, spelling, and grammar he can compare well with his press either in the Navy or civil life; and many of the examples of bad spelling given have been abbreviations common in the Navy, which his critics did not understand.
KARAKAKOA BAY.
On 17th January they anch.o.r.ed in Karakakoa Bay, where large numbers of canoes laden with provisions for sale came out; Cook estimates that at one time there were no less than a thousand round the ship, their occupants entirely unarmed. They soon proved to be adepts at thieving; one man stole the rudder of a boat, so Cook ordered a shot or two to be fired over the escaping thief, but "as it was not intended that any of the shot should take effect, the Indians seemed rather more surprised than frightened," and the man got away. The lids of the Resolution"s coppers were stolen, and the discovery had her rigging much cut about for the sake of the iron. The decks were so crowded with the natives that Burney says it kept a quarter of the crew hard at work to make room for the working of the ship.
AN INSECURE POSITION.
The last entry made by Cook in his Ship"s Journal, and probably the last words he ever wrote, runs as follows:
"Sunday 17. Fine pleasant weather and variable faint breezes of wind. In the evening Mr. Bligh returned and reported that he had found a bay in which was good anchorage and fresh water, tolerable easy to come at. Into this bay I resolved to go to refit the ships and take in water. As the night approached, the Indians retired to the sh.o.r.e, a good [many] however desired to sleep on board, curiosity was not their only motive, at least not with some of them, for the next morning several things were missing, which determined me not to entertain so many another night. At 11 A.M.
anch.o.r.ed in the bay which is called by the natives [a blank, filled in by another hand, Karakakoa] in 13 fathoms of water over a sandy bottom, and a quarter of a mile from the North-East sh.o.r.e. In this situation the South point of the bay bore South 1/4 West, and the North point West 1/4 South. Moored with the stream anchor to the Northward. Unbent the sails and struck yards and topmasts. The ships very much crowded with Indians and surrounded by a mult.i.tude of canoes. I have nowhere in this sea seen such a number of people a.s.sembled at one place, besides those in the canoes, all the sh.o.r.e of the bay was covered with people and hundreds were swimming about the ships like shoals of fish. We should have found it difficult to have kept them in order had not a chief or servant of Terreeoboo"s, named Parea, now and then [shown] his authority by turning or rather driving them all out of the ship.
"Among our numerous visitors was a man named Touahah, who we soon found belonged to the church; he introduced himself with much ceremony, in the course of which he presented me with a small pig, two coconuts and a piece of red cloth which he wrapped round me. In this manner all or most of the chiefs introduced themselves, but this man went further, he brought with him a large hog and a quant.i.ty of fruits and roots, all of which he included in the present. In the afternoon I went ash.o.r.e to view the place accompanied by Touahah, Parea, Mr. King and others; as soon as we landed Touahah took me by the hand and conducted me to a large Morai, the other gentlemen with Parea, and four or five more of the natives followed."
Mr. King describes this Morai as being about forty yards long by twenty broad, and about fourteen feet high, the top flat, well paved, and surrounded by a wooden railing. An old building stood in the centre from which a stone wall ran to the fence dividing the top into two parts. On the landward side were five poles upwards of twenty feet high, supporting an irregular kind of scaffold, and on the sea-side half were two small houses with a covered communication between. On their arrival Cook was presented with two ugly images wrapped with red cloth, and a sort of hymn was sung. Then they were marched to the scaffolding, where was a table on which lay fruits and vegetables surmounted by a very much decomposed pig, and in a semicircle round one end of this table were twelve images.
Placing Cook near the scaffolding, Koah, as King and others call Touahah, took up the pig and holding it towards him made a long speech. Then, dropping the offensive porker, he made signs that the two were to climb on to the uncertain scaffolding. This being done, a procession came forward bearing a live hog and a piece of red cloth. This last article was handed up to Koah, who proceeded to wrap it round Cook, who was clinging to his elevated but not very safe position. The pig was then offered to Cook and a long address chanted. The two princ.i.p.al performers then descended and returned to the table, Koah snapping his fingers at the figures and making what appeared to be sarcastic remarks, till he came to the centre one, when he prostrated himself and kissed it, requesting Cook to do the same. The party then proceeded to the other part of the Morai, and Cook was seated between two images with his arms stretched out, one upheld by Koah, the other by King. A cooked pig and other food was then presented with much ceremony, the meat cut up and kava prepared; whilst Koah"s a.s.sistant chewed some coconut, wrapped it in cloth, and then rubbed it over Cook"s face, head, shoulders, and arms.
Koah and Parea then pulled pieces of the pig and put them into the mouths of the two officers. King says that Parea was a particularly cleanly person, so he did not so much mind this feeding, but Cook, remembering how Koah had handled the putrid hog, was unable to swallow a mouthful, "and his reluctance, as may be supposed, was not diminished, when the old man, according to his own mode of civility, had chewed it for him." Cook then put an end to further proceedings by distributing some presents to the attendants and returning to the ship.
Though the meaning of this ceremony could only be a matter of conjecture, it was very evident that it was intended as a mark of high respect to the person of Captain Cook. The t.i.tle of Orono given to him, and often quoted as evidence that he had permitted himself to be looked upon as a G.o.d by the natives was also given to one, if not more, of their own chiefs; and Burney says that the marks of honour conferred on him were exactly the same as those conferred on any one of their own superior chieftains. The grotesque description given by some of the missionary writers of the whole population crawling after him on hands and knees as a mark of adoration is utterly untrue, for Mr. King, who was ash.o.r.e almost the whole time of the ship"s stay, and was continually with Cook, distinctly says:
"The crowd which had collected on the sh.o.r.e, retired at our approach; and not a person was to be seen, except a few lying prostrate on the ground, near the huts of the adjoining village."
None of those who were on the voyage and have left any record behind them, suggest that Cook was treated in any respect otherwise than as a great chief and a man.
A small potato field was placed under tabu, near the Morai, for the purpose of the observatory, and a camp under the command of King was established there. This camp was daily supplied with meat and vegetables, even more than could be consumed, and several canoe-loads were sent off to the ships. After enquiry it was found that the whole expense of this food was borne by Koah, and no return whatever was demanded.
A ROYAL VISIT.
A tabu was placed on the whole of the bay on the 24th, and trading came to a complete standstill, the reason given being the coming of the king, Terreeoboo. He arrived the next day, and commerce at once revived. He paid a private visit, with his wife and children, to the Resolution, remaining on board some time, and proved to be the same chief they had seen at the Island of Mowee. The next day he, accompanied by several important chiefs, all dressed in rich feather cloaks and armed with long spears and daggers, paid a state visit. Koah was also present in a canoe with other priests and two large basket-work idols, whose distorted faces were adorned with pearl-sh.e.l.l eyes and dog"s teeth; he was attended by two other canoes, one filled with pigs and vegetables, and these paddled round the ships, the priests singing "in most solemn fashion," and returned to the sh.o.r.e. Cook followed; King turned out the guard and saluted Terreeoboo, and then conducted him to the tent, where, after seating himself for a few moments, he took off his helmet and cloak and placed them on Cook, at the same time ordering five or six more, of great value, to be placed at his feet. Hogs, bread-fruit, etc., were then brought in. Cook and Terreeoboo exchanged names as a peculiar mark of friendship, and the ceremony ended by the presentation of the two boat-loads of provisions by a deputation of the priests. One of those present was a nephew of the king, called by the English Maiha-Maiha, afterwards known to the world as Kamehameha I.
As many of the chiefs as the Resolution"s pinnace would hold were taken off with the king to the ship, and the latter was duly invested with a white linen shirt and Cook"s own sword. During the whole of this performance no canoes excepting those actually engaged were to be seen in the bay, and all the natives remained lying on the ground or in their houses. Clerke, who had been too ill to share in these ceremonies, landed for the first time on the 28th, and, though quite unexpected, he received a very handsome present of food, and Terreeoboo paid the Discovery a state call, taking with him presents similar to those given to Cook. In the afternoon he paid a second (private) call in a small canoe with three paddles, one of which he wielded himself. On this occasion there were no prostrations, but if any native met his chief he simply got out of the way unless some service was required of him.
The ships were running very short of firewood, and as there was none growing less than a mile and a half off the sea, Mr. King was ordered to try and purchase the fence surrounding the top of the Morai. He hesitated, as he thought that:
"even the bare mention of it might be considered by them [the priests] as a piece of shocking impiety. In this, however, I found myself mistaken.
Not the smallest surprise was expressed at the application, and the wood was readily given, even without stipulating for anything in return."
He saw the sailors were carrying away the figures as well, and spoke to Koah on the subject, who raised no objection, except with regard to the centre one, which was at once returned. Burney says that two launch-loads for each ship were obtained, "a seasonable supply, as we had been four months since we wooded."
On 31st January Whatman, one of the gunner"s crew, and greatly attached to Cook, died and was buried in the Morai. Besant thinks that this had some influence on the minds of the natives, and may have contributed to Cook"s death, but as it was done by Terreeoboo"s special request it is difficult to see how the idea can be justified.
A LARGE PRESENT.
Enquiries were several times made as to the date of the departure of the ships, and hints were given that supplies were running short; but at the same time they were informed that if they returned the next bread-fruit season, their wants should be again supplied. When the news went forth that they would leave in two days, Terreeoboo issued a proclamation for food to be brought in so that he might make a large present on their departure; and on the appointed day Cook and King were invited to Terreeoboo"s residence, where they found all that had been given in exchange to the natives was laid out on the ground, and a short distance away a large quant.i.ty of vegetables of all kinds and a herd of pigs, which were handed over on a return present being made. King says that the gift "far exceeded everything of the kind we had seen." The camp ash.o.r.e was then broken up, and a great effort was made to persuade Cook to permit Mr. King to remain, as he had succeeded in making himself a great favourite with all. A house that had been used by the sailmakers was accidentally set on fire, Burney says by natives looking for a knife lost by one of the sailors; but Besant, who places the fire at a later period, says it was done intentionally in revenge for the sailors having enticed some of the women there, and infers that Gilbert is his authority, but in the extracts he publishes from Gilbert"s ma.n.u.script there is nothing of the kind, and no one refers to any other fire till after Cook"s death.
CHAPTER 18. 1779 TO 1780. THIRD VOYAGE CONCLUDED.
On 4th February the ships unmoored and sailed from the bay, steering to the north in hopes of finding a better anchorage. The wind was very light, and the progress was so slow that it gave Terreeoboo an opportunity of sending off a further present of food. Soon after a gale sprang up, and the canoes which had accompanied them beat a hasty retreat, leaving a good many, mostly women, on board the ships. About midnight the fore and main topsails were split, but towards morning the wind died away and they were able to bend fresh sails. A second gale came on again at night, putting them under double-reefed topsails, with topgallant yards sent down, and at daybreak the fore-mast was found to be so badly sprung that it was absolutely necessary it should be unstepped for immediate repairs. After considerable hesitation, for he fully recognised that the place must be almost denuded of surplus provisions, Cook decided to return to Karakakoa Bay as no other convenient place was known, and the ships again anch.o.r.ed there on the 11th, starting immediately to unstep and get the mast ash.o.r.e, when it was found to be rotten at the heel as well as sprung. Wood that had been cut at Eimeo for anchor stocks was used for fishing the head, and the work proceeded rapidly: the priests making the camp tabu, so that there should be no interference with the workmen.
When the ships arrived in the bay, hardly a canoe was to be seen, and none came out to the ships. This, contrasted with their first reception, was the cause of some surprise, and, in view of what happened afterwards, of some suspicion; but Mr. King, who had more intercourse with the natives than any of the other officers, was thoroughly satisfied that "they neither meant nor apprehended any change of conduct." Burney says that Terreeoboo and some of the chiefs visited them on the 12th, and asked many questions about their return, and did not seem well satisfied with the answers received.
TROUBLE COMMENCES.
Everything went smoothly till the afternoon of the 13th, when the officer in charge of the watering party complained to King that the conduct of some of the natives was suspicious, and some of the chiefs were driving away men he had engaged to help in rolling the casks to the boats. King sent a marine with side arms to help to restore order, but shortly after was informed the natives were arming with stones and getting very noisy, so he went down himself, with a marine armed with his musket, and succeeded in setting matters right. Just at this time Cook came ash.o.r.e, and King reported what had occurred, receiving orders to fire with ball if he received any insolence or stones were thrown. Soon afterwards shots were heard from the Discovery, and a canoe was seen making for the sh.o.r.e, closely pursued by one of the ship"s boats. Cook, King, and a marine ran to intercept them, but were too late, as the occupants of the canoe landed before they could reach the spot. Burney says the disturbance commenced by a native stealing a pair of carpenter"s tongs, jumping overboard with them, and placing them in a canoe which at once paddled off. The thief was caught, flogged, and put in irons till the tongs were returned from the sh.o.r.e. The same tongs were again stolen in the afternoon, and the thief got away with them, pursued by Edgar, the Master, in the ship"s cutter, and joined by the Resolution"s pinnace. The thief reaching sh.o.r.e first, put the tongs, the lid of a harness cask, and a chisel in a second canoe which went out, and handed them over to Edgar.