CAPTAIN COOK AND NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2008, 18 August 1892, Page 45

CAPTAIN COOK AND NEW ZEALAND.

By Aparata Kenata.

HIS FIRST VOYAGE.

James Cook was the son of a farm labourer, and was born on the 21 eh of October, 1728, at a village in tha county of York. He was good at figures at an early age. He first sailed in a collier. Then was sent by his employer to aeeist in fitting a vessel of 000 ton?. In 1752 he was appointed mate of a vessel. In 1755 he entered tho navy, and by showing bis marit was soon, transferred from the forecastle to the quirterdeck. On. the 15ch of May 1759 he was appointed a master in the navy, and soon secured the confidence of his superiors, In 17C7 tholtoyal Society wished to have the tr^nsi', of Venus observed in some of the South Sea Islauds. George 111 seconded their effoit 0 , and J:ime3 Cjok was the man chosen to undertake and superintend the work. He received his commission on the 25th of May 1768, and left Plymouth on the 26th of August. He had reached the rank of lieutenant in the navy and Was considered tha right man foi 1 this sperjial purpose. He mtis^ have shown great ability in the survey of Newfoundland and other work that had been intrusted to him to have secured the confidence of those above him to such a degree that he received one of the most important appointments of his day.

Australians and New Zealanders have every reason — New Zealanders especially — to remember James Cook with gratitude, and I shall endeavour to show whit he did for New Zealand in this paper. Although many editions of Cook's voyages are in existence his own diary or log is the best place from which to get information. He noted everything, and his diary reads like a fairy tale in many places. For my own part I never read anything so intensely interesting, and hope that I may induce all young New Zealanders who read tbis article to feel the same interest in his voyages that I did.

the SadeaVr ur was the vessel chosen for the voyage. She was 370 tons and barque rigged. Her destination was King George's Island, or Tahiti as it is now called. This island, which had been discovered by Captain Wallis, now belongs to France — a fact which I write with shame. The Royal Society had chosen it for the purpose of taking the observations in connection with the transit of Venus across the sun's disc. After the observations were taken the vessel was to proceed on a voyage of discovery to the South Seas, and during this voyage New Zealand was rediscovered

Tasman had discovered the North end in 1612, but had not taken much interest ia his discovery— so little, in fact, that he did not know whether he had discovered an island or a continent. He sailed as far south as Cook'a Strait.

The Endeavour had been fitted in a most complete style, and supplied for 18 months with all necessary food and articles of trade. Captain Cook had with him a man of independent means — Robert Bank?,"* who took two draughtsmen and some servants. Dr Solender, a Swede, and pupil of Linnaeus, also accompanied him.

At Tahiti, or Otaheite as Cook spells it, the observations were taken with great exactitude. Tho day was all- that could be desired. The first external cant-act was at 9hr 25min 42sec a.m.; the second at 3!«jr 32min lOsec. The chronometers used had proved themselves most exact timekeepers, and gave every satisfaction. The date was Saturday, June 3, 1769.

A native priest, or Tahowa, who was chief priest of the island, by name Tupia, accompanied the Endeavour from Tahiti. Hq had been first minister to Queen Oberea, of Tahiti, when she was in the height of her power. Cook say 3he had great experience in navigation, and was well acquainted with the neighbouring islands. He was a superior man in all things, and proved himself a great ecquisition to the expedition. From Tahiti Cook went soutb, and discovered many islands. From Otervab, one of these, he sailed to New Zealand, which was sighted on the G'h October 1769. On the 7th he was still distant seven or eight leagues. He describes .it as having four or five ranges of hills rising one over the other, and a chain of mountains above all, which appeared to be of an enormous height. All hands came to conclusion that they had got to the great continent of the Southern Hemisphere, then supposed to exist, and sailed Terra Australis Incognita. In his diary Cook, says : " About 5 o'clock we saw the opening of a bay, which seemed to run pretty far inland. We also saw smoke ascending from different places on shore. When night came on, however, we kept plying off and on till daylight, when we found ourselvos to the leeward of the bay, the wind being at north. We could now perceive that the hills wore clothed with wood, and that some of the trees in the valleys were very large. By noou we fetched in with the bouth-west point. "' Then fcorao canoes went across the bay and lmrlfd their passengers without apparently t.ikir.g any notice of (he ship. Uhen they s i\v some houses, which appeared to 1)3 small but neat, and a lot of people hitting on the beach. Upon a small penitsula they also saw a high and regular paliog, which enclosed tha top of a hill. Some cf them thought it a park or an enclosure for oxen and sheep. At d o'clock they snehored at the entrance of a small river. In the evening Captain Coot, Mr Banks, Dr Solander, and n. party of men landed.

And this is the discovery of New Zealand, and these were the first Englishmen who landed on what is to many of my readers their native country. We can read what these brave men did with pleasure, and all the comforts of a civilised 'people around us. Bat to Captain Cook and his companions everything was uncertain. For all they knew, they wore running a terrible risk, and might hava thousands o!i cannibals attack them without; any warning of their murderous intentions. It muss have been a very exciting adventure. How they must have f-peculated about the c^nntry and its inhabitants and their state of living. Captain Cook was keerjiy observant, and noted everything well. Experience among the other islands he had visited had made

hiirl careful, and hti and his eompani jus tooli every precaution against a sudden attack; but still the risk was great. Ho crossed the river to speak to some natives in the yawl, and left the pinnace at the entrance. The people all ran away. However, he landed, and left four boys with the yawl, and then went a few hundred yards to some hutß. Four natives with lances then came out of the bush and ran to attack the boat. The boys fled with her, and the coxswain of the pinuace fired two shot 3 over the heads of tho natives to intimidate them, but they took no notice, and were attacking the boat with their lances when a shot was fired which struck a native dead. This caused the three remaining natives intense astonishment, and they ran away leaving the body of their companion. Cook and his friends heard the shooting, and returned with all haste to the boat which Oartie to take ttiem on board: On their way they examined the body of the native who had been killed. This was the first native they had Feen except at a distance, and he was described by Cook, who says ho was shot through the heart. He was of middle height ; his complexion was brown, but not dark ; and one side of his face was tatooed in spiral lines of a very regular figure. He was covered with fine cloth, of a manufacture altogether nev^ to Cook and his companions, and it was tied on exactly according to the representation in Abel Tasman's voyage. His hair was tied in a knot on top of Ms head, but had no feathers in it. When they returned to the ship they heard loud voices ashore.

All my readers will deplore the manner this unfortunate man fell, but when the ciroum3tancea are taken into account it will be admitted fcty the most humane that it could not possibly be avoided. There was no one more anxious for friendly intercourse than Captain Cook, and he must have greatly regretted the death of this native.

It was quite clear that the people of this new country were very ingenious. .Cook mentions the fine cloth. Most Now Zealandera have seen this cloth made from the native flax. When now it glistens like fine silk, and when made and worn in the native manner it was a very handsome drees. It was generally made in pieces large enough to make an outer garment, and was worn thrown over the shoulders and pinned or fixed across the breast. The pins or bodkins were often made of greenstone, and many have reoantly been found in the sites of M.tori villages. The edges of this garment were often tipped with dog-skin, sometimes with feathers or dyed flax (brown and black being thi colours used), made up into tasseh or strings. There are many good specimens in mueeums and private collections, and they are much prized. Cook and his companions had a close shave of being killed here, and next morning he went better guarded with the Fame companions and Tupia, the Tahiti native. He landed with only Dr Solander, Mr Banks, and Tupia, but he had three boats, and one had marines on board, handy to give assistance in case of attack. There were 50 natives sitting not far from the shore, and when Cook and his friends landed these got up, and each had a spear or a small weapon of talc (greenstone), "extremely well polished, about lft long, and thick enough to weigh 4lb or slb. (These were mere meies of greenstone.) Tupia called to thorn in his language, but they only flourished their weapons and made signs for them to depart. The marines were landed, and Tupia spoke again and was understood by them. He told them that Cook wanted tD trade and get water. At last, after some hesitation, 20 or 30 of them came, but brought their weapons with them. These were very insolent, and stole some article, which caused Mr Banks to ire at one. Although he was wounded he not return the article, but kept flourishing it over his head and retreating. He was fired at by another of the party, and he dropped. His companions tooK his " weapon of green talo " and tried to get the stolen article, but were prevented from doing so by a discharge of small shot among them.

Captain Cook and his friends were thoroughly dsheartened at not being able to make triends here, and embarked in their boats with the intention of proceeding tc some other settlement, and gaining the friendship of the natives by presents. While looking for a landing-place they two canoes coming in from fishing— one under tail, and the other worked with paddles. Cook thought this a fine chance to kidnap some natives and convince them of his friendly intentions, and send them ashore to tell their friends to trade with him. Acting on this idea he ordered a boat to give chase, but they beat the boat till someone fired over their heads, when they stopped and showed fight, and when Cook's fcoit got alongside it began to get the worst of it till those in it fired in self-defence. Four natives were shot, and three were taken alive after a struggle. Theze were a youth and two boys.

Cook excuses himself for the loss of life caused by this affair as follows : — " I am conscious that the feeling of every reader of humanity will censure me for having fired upon these unhappy people, and it is impossible that upon a calm review I should approve it myself. . . . But the nature of my service required me to obtain a knowledge of their country."

This he was determined to do either by forcing his way into it, or by getting some friendly intercourse established with the natives. The young people he took were prepared for death, and were surprised when they were treated in a friendly way on board. Tupia made them so cheerful that they sang some of their native songs with a degree of taste that surprised all on board. They had open countenances, and one had an ease of deportment which was very striking. These were the first living Maoris that came in contact with Cook and his companions. The same day they found a large piece of pumice. This made them believe that a volcano was not far distant.

Next morning the natives were given many presents, and told that they were going to be sent ashore. They said they wished to be put ashore at a place some distance away, as their enemies inhabited the shore close to where the ship was, and if put ashore they would be killed and eaten. This was sufficient to 'convince Captain Cook that he had to deal with cannibals, and very warlike and determined ones too. When the three natives were landed they

seemed j leased, btlt did .Idt part with Cook and his companions without some tears. Tn6 place was a swamp on whioh there were ducks, but while Cook and his men were shooting, some natives came in sight and caused him to make for the boats. On his way the three boys joined him, and claimed the protection of his party, as the natives who were following were their enemies. Tne boys were put ashore next day, and Ciptaia Cook left, and called the pl-ice Poverty Bs.y. Cook says the native name was then Ta-oue-roa ; but the prestnt name isTauranga. The south-west point of the bay he calkd Young Nick's Hoad, after Nicholas Young, the boy who first caw lind. He continued south, and next day some natives Carrie on board, and exchanged all they had, even to their clothes and some of the paddles of their canoe?. It is q.jite likely these things aro still in some museum at Home or in the Banks Institute. The natives had green talc weapons witll them, and some that were cilled patoopatoo. These would be the greenstone mere-mores and the whalebone patou pat on. These weapons must have been vary plentiful with them in Cook'a day, as he mentions them repeatedly and as being quite common. By some accident or oversight throo natives Were left on board when the canois left, and their friends did not seem to dare. These three seemed to fenjoy the situation,- as they danced and sing after their manner, ate well, and went to bed quietly. Next day when these poor fellows that the vessel was making south they got iv a terrible way ; but some canoes Came out from the shore, and when the people in these were told that Cook and his companions did not eat men they gained confidense. A chief came on board who had very fine clothes and a patoo patoo, as <Jo<,k calls ir, made from the bene of a whale. They took the three natives away, to the satisfaction of all. When this happened Cook's vc-esol was opposite a point which he called Cape Table, on account of its figure. He then passed an island which he called the Island of Portland, from its resemblance to that place in England, The natives called it Teahowray, according to his spelling. They saw natives on the island atd ashore in great ntimbers, and many cultivated patches of land, some with plants and some with dug ground, which appeared to be in furrowd as *i£ it had been ploughed.

An old native in the course of conversation with me about the site of a native garden, told me that he and many others had dug it when he was a lad — 200 of them, he said. The manner of doing so was this : All the diggers were placed in a row close together with wooden spades, which were about 4in or less wide. Then they all started a chant and forced this wooden spade into the earth, and at a pause lever down then up and turn a long continuous pieca of earthr It was all done to the tuno of a chant, and this may account for what Cjok d? scribes here.

Some natives came ofE in a canoe, but would not come on board. Tupia the Ottiheitian spoke to them, but to no purpose* They could generally understand what Tupia said, as Cook says he only spoke a different dialect of their language. Then a lot of canoes came off and came near ensugh to speak to Tupia. They kept up a regular conversation with him ; but most of these were very hostile in their actions. Next day some fishing canoes came alongside to trade, then a large canoe with 20 natives in her came alongside boldly. There was nothing on board her in the shape' of trade, but one native had a black skin which Cook took for a bear skin. This skin was of course interesting, and Cook exchanged some baize for it, but when the baizo was on board the canoe she cleared away without handing the skin up. It must have been a dog skin. Some more canoes came alongside, and little Tayeto, Tupia's boy, was sent over the ship's side with some articles of exchange. Tue natives seized him and made for the shore, but before they could land he jumped over the side and tried to ewim for the ship. They turned to recapture him, when Cook ordered some of his men to fire on this canoe. A boat pub off from the ship and picked up Tayeto, who was much frightened but not hurt. Those in the canoe must have suffered, as they took three men ashore, whom they carried. The headland here was called Cape Kidnappers. The bay between Portlatd and this capo was called Hawke's Bay, in honour of Sir Edward Hawke, the First Lord of the Admiralty.

He then sailed south to a point he called Cape Tarnagain. So far CaptaiD Cook had received no encouragement to land, and must have felt terribly vexed about the way in which so may unfortunate natives had been killed. The last lot killed certainly deserved some punishment so far as we can judge; but they may have heard of the native boys whom Cook had kidnapped, and supposing this to be one meant to liberate him. What other motive they had Cook doe 3 not say. and we can only form a conjecture about it.

(To he codtiiiued.J

— Some men sre tried and trusted, while others are tried after being trusted.