57 8
In their excurfion to the eaft, they met with the largeft feal they had ever feen. Itwas fwimming on the furface of the water, and fuffered them to come near enough tO‘fire at it; but without effedt: for, after a chafe of near an hour, they were obliged toleave it. By the fize of this animal, it was probably a fea lionefs. It certainly boremuch refemblance to the drawing in Lord Anion ’s voyage.
Early the next morning, fome of the natives brought a large fupply of fifh. Oneof them agreed to go away with them; but afterwards, that is, when it cameto the point, he changed his mind ; as did fome others who had promifed to go withthe Adventure. One of them defired Captain Cook to give his fon a white fhirt, whichhe accordingly did. The boy was fo fond of his new drefs, that he went all over theIhip, prefenting himfelf before every one that came in his way. This freedom ufed byhim offended Old Will the ram goat, who gave him a butt with his horns, and knockedhim backward on the deck. Will would have repeated his blow, had not fome ofthe people come to the boy’s affiftance. The misfortune, however, feemed to himirreparable. The Ihirt was dirtied, and he was afraid to appear in the cabin before hisfather, until brought in by Mr. Forfter ; when he told a very lamentable ftory againftGoury the great dog (for fo they called all the quadrupeds that were on board,)nor could h^ be reconciled, till the fhirt was wafhed and dried. This ftory, thoughtrifling in itfelf, will fhew how common it is to miftake thefe people’s meaning, and toafcribe to them cuftoms they never knew even in thought.
About nine o’clock a large double canoe, in which were twenty or thirty people*appeared in fight. The natives on board feemed much alarmed, faying that thefe weretheir enemies. Two of them, the one with a fpear, and the other with a ftone hatchetin his hand, mounted the arm che'fts on the poop, and there, in a kind of bravado,bid thofe enemies defiance; while the others, who were on board, took to their canoeand went afhore, probably to fecure the women and children.
However, they came on board and were very peaceable. A trade foon commencedbetween the failors and them. It was not poffible to hinder the former from fellingthe clothes from off their backs for the mereft trifles, things that were neither ufefmnor curious. This caufed Captain Cook to difmifs the ftrangers fooner than he wouldhave done.
June the 4th they fpent their Royal Mafter’s birth-day in feftivity, having the coni'pany of captain Furneaux and all his officers. Double allowance enabled the feamento fhare in the general joy.
During their ftay in the found, Captain Cook obferved that this fecond vimmade to this country, had not mended the morals of the natives of either fex.had always looked upon the females of New Zealand to be more chafte than thegenerality of Indian women. Whatever favours a few of them might have granted tothe people in the Endeavour, it was generally done in a private manner, and the mendid not feem to intereft themfelves much in it. But now, he was told, they were t 0chief promoters of a fhameful traffic, and that, for a fpike-nail, or any other thing theyvalue, they would oblige the women to proftitute themfelves, whether they would 0no ; and even without any regard to that privacy which decency required. .
On the 7th of June, at four in the morning, the wind being favourab e >they unmoored, and at feven weighed and put to fea, with the Adventure 1
company. _ # # . c A the
Nothing material occurred till the 29th, when Captain Cook was informedcrew of the Adventure was fickly j and this he found was but too true. Her coo^was dead, and about twenty of her bell men were down in the fcurvy and flux.