Band 
Volume the eleventh.
Seite
527
JPEG-Download
 

CAPTAIN COOK ’S FIRST VOYAGE.

5 2 7

canoes appeared making towards land, and Captain Cook propofed intercepting themwith his boats. One of them got clear off, but the Indians in the other, finding it im-poffible tb efcape the boats, began to attack them with their paddles : this compelledthe Endeavour’s people to fire upon them, when four of the Indians were killed, andthe other three, who were youths, jumped into the water, and endeavoured to fwim tofhore: they were however taken up and brought on board. They were at firftgreatly terrified, thinking they fhould be killed; but Tupia, by repeated affurances offriendfhip, removed their fears, and they afterwards eat very heartily of the {hip’s pro-vifions. When they retired to reft, in the evening, they appeared perfectly eafy intheir minds, and flept very quietly. The next morning, after they were dreffed andornamented, according to the mode of the country, with necklaces and bracelets,Captain Cook propofed fetting them on fhore, that they might give a favourable reportto their countrymen of the reception they had met with. They teftified much fatis-faflion when told they were going to be releafed ; the names of thefe boys were Taahou-range, Koikerange, and Maragovete. They informed Captain Cook , that there was aparticular kind of deer upon the ifland, likewife taro, eapes, romara, yams, a kind oflong pepper, bald coote, and black birds.

On the i ith Captain Cook fet fail, in hopes of finding a better anchoring place, aftergiving this bay (called by the natives Toaneora) the name of Poverty Bay; and thefouth welt point he called Young Nick’s Head, on account of its being firft perceivedty a lad on board named Nicholas Young.

Captain Cook gave the name of Cape Table to a point of land about feven leaguesto the fouth of Poverty Bay, its figure greatly refembling a table ; and the ifland, calledby the natives Teahowry, he named Portland Ifland, it being very fimilar to that ofthe fame name in the Britilh Channel.

On the 12th feveral Indians came off in a canoe; they were disfigured in a ftrangemanner, danced and fung, and appeared at times to be peaceably inclined, at others tomenace hoftilities ; but notwithftanding Tupia ftrongly invited them to come on board,hone of them would quit the canoe. Whilft the Endeavour was getting clear of thelhambles, five canoes iull of Indians came off, and feemed to threaten the people onboard, by brandifhing their lances, and other hoftile geftures; a four pounder, loadedwith grape-fhot, w'as therefore ordered to be fired, but not pointed at them. This hadthe defired effedt, and made them drop aftern. Next morning nine canoes full ofmdians came from the fhore, and five of them, after having consulted together, pur-ged the Endeavour, apparently with a hoftile defign. Tupia was defired to acquaintthem that immediate deftruftion would enfue, if they perfevered in their attempts j.but words had no influence, and a four pounder, with grape {hot, was fired, to givethem fome notion of the arms of their opponents. They were terrified at this kind°f reafoning, and paddled away fafter than they came.

The following day, Sunday the 15th, in the afternoon, a large canoe, with a numberarmed Indians, came up, and one of them, who was remarkably clothed with ablack {kin, found means to defraud the captain of a piece of red baize, under pretenceof bartering the fkin he had on for it. As foon as be had got the baize into his pof-le mon, inftead of giving the fkin in return, agreeable to his bargain, he rolled themup together, and ordered the canoe to put off from the {hip, turning a deaf ear tohe repeated remonftrances of the captain againft his unjuft behaviour. After a fhorttime this canoe, together with the fiftnng-boats which had put off at the fame time*c j*me back to the {hip, and trade was again begun. During this fecond traffic with*ue Indians, one of them unexpectedly feized Tupia’s little boy Tayota, and pulling

him.