CAPTAIN COOK AND NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2009, 25 August 1892, Page 43

CAPTAIN COOK AND NEW ZEALAND.

By Apabata Renata.

On the 18th October 17G9, while near Portland Island, a canoe came alongside with five people. Two of these appeared to be chiefs. The latter came on board and told their servants to remain in the canoe. They were kindly treated, and expressed their gratitude. They felt so much at home that they told Cook they meant to spend the night on board. This did not please Cook, but at last he consented if they allowed their canoe and servants to be taken on boird. This they readily consented to, but would not while on board, eat or drink. Their servants, on the other hand, ate everything that was offered to them. Cook describes one of these chiefs as having an open and ingenuous countenance. They examined everything with great attention, and were well pleased with their presents. They told Cook they had been induced to come on board by the good report that some other natives had taken ashore of their treatment. In the morning they were landed. The vessel passed a remarkable point, which was called Gable End Foreland. Next day Cook anchored in a bay where he was told he would find both fuel and water. Directly they were anchored a lot of canoes came round, and in one were two men, who by their habits were taken for chiefs. One was dressed in a jacket which was ornamented with dogs' skins. Tho other had his jacket ornamented with small tufts of red feathers. Cook invited these on board, and gave them four yards of linen each, and a spike nail. The linen pleased them, but they set no value on the spike nails. Tupia the Tahitian was told to explain to them that no harm would be done by Captain Cook and his vessel if they were treated peacefully. Cook says in ono place that Tupia spoke only a dialect of the language of these people, so there was little difficulty in being understood by them. These two chiefs were old men. When they left they promised to send fish and sweet potatoes — or what are now known to be called kumaras. In the morning Captain Cook, Mr Bank?, and Dr Solander went ashore. The natives acted peaceably. Next morning the ship took in water. Mr Banks and Dr Solander went inland and shot some birds of " exquisite beauty," in Cook's words. These gentlemen saw the natives at their meals, and found they were eating fish, and fernroot in place of bread with it. These roots were prepared for food by being scorched over the fire and then beaten with a stick till the bark fell off. What was left was a sweet and clammy substance. There were no tame animals except dogs, which were small and Hgly. The women painted themselves with " red ochre and oil." This ochre is red hematite, and is very common about the sites of their huts to this day. They wore a petticoat, and a girdle with bunches of scented grass attached. The men did not paint so much, but they noticed one who carried a piece of this red ochre, and kept on painting himself whenever the paint got rubbed off. They were very cleanly in their habits, and put all the dirt in heaps. While the Natives were trading a lot of Otaheitian clotb of native make waß exchanged. Cook says this cloth was preferred to any other. Some cloth of very ancient date of this sort has been found in New Zealand lately, and is attributed to the Maoris. It is quite possible that this may be some that was traded by someone many years ago. If it was not so, the Maoris would have kept up the manufacture of it till the whites firat settled here, and I know of no writer who mentions anj cloth of this sort made by them in any quantity.

The next trade mentioned by Cook was in glass bottles, which the natives seemed very fond of, and Otaheitian cloth. The correct longitude and latitude was taken of the coast. Mr Banks and Dr Solander got a great number of specimens of plants. While looking for these they found lots of empty houses in the valleys and the people living in sheds on the hills. It is very likely that these houses were tapu, or forbidden, because their owners bad died in them. An old man showed them how the people fought by placing a post up to represent an enemy and hitting it with the " patoo-patoo" and lance till he felled it. While the ship's crew were getting water in a bay Tupia had a visit from a priest. Cook says their ideas of divinity seemed to agree. He asked them if they ate men, to which they replied that they only ate their enemies who fell in battle.

Dr Solander purchased a boy's top from the natives. It was shaped liked a whiptop and spun in the same manner. The natives danced a war dance, in which the women joined, rolling their eyes and thrusting their tongues out. Cook desciibes a very large canoe they saw on an island on which they landed on the 28th October.£—Bhe was GB.Jft long, sft broad, and 3ft nigh ; she had a "sharp bottom made of threetrunks of trees hollowed, the middle piece being the longest. The side planks were G2ft long, in onej'iece, and were well carved in bas relief. The head was still more richly carved. By this description the stem or head-piece must have protruded a few feet. Even if she was 60ft long on the keel this would mean a very large boat. They also saw on the island a very large unfinished house, the posts of which were squared, and Cook says this was so well done that they concluded very sharp tools were used. The side posts were carved in. a " masterly " style. On the 29th they took on board wood and water and a lot of excellent celery, and then unmoored the ship. Cook sajs this place is called Tolago by the natives. The. celery he used to cure the scurvy with. This plant is very common all over New Zealand, even to Stewart Island, and is known as wild parsley nowadays. It is very good in flavouring stews and soups, and can be eaten ag a vegetable if the tender shoots only are cooked.

While here they saw only dogs and rats in the shape of animals. They climbed many bills but CDuldsee nothingbut mountains and ferny ridges, They found many new sorts of tree?, and a cabbage tree, which Cook says they cut down for the cabbage. The soil was good, but they saw nothing cultivated, but sweet potatoes and yams,

After sailing for some 10 hours they came to a headland that was called by Cook East Cape, and a bay they passed they called Hicks' Bay after Lieutenant Hicks, who first saw it. J>o il - 0(&l>-tA- ij faq A lot of canoes put off from the shore when Cook had shortened sail, and one very large one had GO men on board. These canoes came off to attack Cook, so he thought, as they had all armed warriors on board. Some grape shot was fired from a cannon over them, and caused the lot to hurry for the shore. The headland here was called Cape Runaway, and the island off it White Island.

On the Ist November they counted 45 canoes coming for them. Seven of these came alongside and traded with " lobsters, mussels, and two conger eelß." At first they traded fairly, then they began to pilfer. One of the thieves was ihot in the back with ordinary shot, but it did seem to hurt him, as he took the cloth be stole and rolled it up, then cleared for the shore. A cannon shot was then fired and frightened the crowd of them away, as they all hurried towards the shore without stopping.

The Endeavour sailed on and passed a large mountain on the mainland, which was called Mount Edgecumbe by Cook. They also passed an island which the natives called Mowtohora.

After sailing past many towns, and seeiDg great numbers of canoes, Cook came to an island which he called Matfbr Island and a number of small ones which he called the Court of Aldermen. The people so far as he bad gone along the coast from Cape Turnagain acknowledged one great chief called Teratu. rpt<f Some darker natives were seen, with canoes hollowed out by fire. One of these threw a lance at a man on board, These people were nearly naked, and Cook says that though they looked despicable they were plucky enough to attack those on board till a shot frightened them. At night or evening they sang a war dance ashore, and said they would attack the vessel when they had got assistance. They tried to tow away the buoy of the anchor. Twice they came to attack the vessel expecting to find all hands asleep, but when they found it was nob so they cleared away. At daybreak 12 canoes came alongside with lances, stones, and pikes ; but Tupia spoke to them, and they started to trade, but did not do so long without attempting to steal. Cook wished to stop here for five or six days to observe the transit of Mercury. So he tried to intimidate them by wounding a thief in the act. His companions, however, did not seem to take any notice of his wound?, but went on trading. Another thief had a hole made in his canoe with a shot, and then a cannon was fired among them. This seemed to have the desired effect, and all hands in the canoes got frightened and made for the shore.

Next morning the natives came to trade, ar.d behaved better. An old chief called by Cook Toiava was among them. This man had traded fairly the day before. He was now invited on board, and told them the natives had been frightened, and were now very much afraid of them. He was told to tell them that no harm was meant, so long as they did not steal or hurt any one on board.

Cook had a seine net on board, and went ashore with it to look for a good place to make a haul. The fish caught were only mallet. Some birds were shot with red bills and feet. These were what are now called red-bills, or red-billed snipe, common all over New Zealand. Two natives had a quarrel and began to fight witb lancea, and when their friends took these away they fought with their fists like Britons.

Next day was occupied in cutting wood, trawling, shooting, and hauling the seine without much success. The natives, however, brought some fresh fish, and dried by the heat of the sun, to the vessel. They traded till they saw some other canoes coming. These must have contained enemies, for they frightened the people of this place away. Mr Banks and Dr Solander found that these natives did not acknowledge any chief, and that they had no village, but slept out all night with their women and children placed inside a circle formed by the men, who piled their arms close by in case of an attack.

A lot of canoes brought them mackerel of two sorts— one exactly like the English, and another varietj . For these they asked very little. There were so many of these bought that the ..surplus was salted, and was sufficient to supply the ship for a month or more.

On the 9th November Cook and his companions observed the transit of Mercury. Some canoes had arrived with natives from some other place, and started to trade with those on board. While a piece of their dress called a haahow was being exchanged, they took the piece of cotton or linen for exchange, but refused to part with the baadow, and put off from the ship, then started their war dance.- This annoyed Lieutenant Gore to such an extent that he fired and shot the offender dead. Then a cannon with round shot was fired. This frightened the lot for some time, but they came back again and said that the man shot had only deserved his fate.

There is a very noticeable difference between the behaviour of ordinary natives and chiefs in all Cook's transactions with them. If this man had been of any consequence there would have in all probability been trouble, but as it was, no one seems to have thought much of it as far as the natives were concerned. Cook deplores the fact of Mr Gore having used a bullet from a humane point of view ; but it is probable that this affair stopped greater trouble and loss of life.

Cook saw some natives roasting birds stuck on a stick before the fire and baking some in an oven made of hot stones placed in a hole and covered. He also saw a woman mourning a relative and cutting her arms and breasts with a shell till she was covered with blood and looked a terrible sight. He went up a river with two boats four miles and shot shags which were building on the trees. These they boiled on the spot, " qnd they afforded us an excellent meal." Lots of settlers have told me shags were good eating, but I should not fancy this could be no unless for those who had been deprived of fresh meat, like Cook and bis companions,who would relish anything in the way of a change. He saw rock oysters, duoks, and. curlews. A* ope place where fch,e nasv<^

were living in sheds they were very hospitably treated, and ate delicatelyflavoured shell fish hot off the coals. This is really the only way to enjoy shellfish, as boiling destroys their flavour and hardens and toughens them. Cook describes a hippah or eppah as enclosed on three sides, and the place chosen could not have been better if the best engineer in England had been employed to choose it.

One day Cook and his companions landed and asked the natives to show them one of these fortified places. They were welcomed with cordiality, the natives calling out " Horomai 1 " and waving their hands. The hippah was called Wharretouwa, and was placed, as usual, along the coast on a high promontory. The palisade was 10ft high and bound together with withes. Inside the palisade there was a stage 6ft wide and 40ft long. Stores were used to roll down on an enemy. Outside the hippah there wore plenty of huts with people who were under the protection of those within, and in case of need went inside the bippah should an enemy get too bold. There was a great quantity of fernroot within for food, but no water. A mock siege was gone through by two natives to explain the use of the stage, Ace.

Cook says that the natives were always at war with each other, and had hardly time on that account to cultivate sufficient land for their crops. The only weapons of war they used were the lance and war club. He says they had no b^wa or arrows nor any slings for throwing stones. The lance he says they handled so well that he could only match them with a loaded musket.

The bay where he anchored was called by him Mercury Bay on account of their having observed the transit here. The river he called the Oyster river at the mouth, and the river at the head of the bay the Mangrove river, on account of the Mangrove trees he saw along it. All the creeks here he says have ironsand, but the natives set no value on it, nor did they on iron of any sort.

Before he sailed he had the Bhip's name, her commander's and the date, month, and year cut on a tree. He then displayed the English colours, and took formal possession in the name of his Britannic Majesty King George the Third. This must have been about November 15 or IG, 1769. And for 70 odd years nothing further was done by those in power in England I Really English statesmen have shown great apathy and neglect in all colonial matters.

Cook began to think he had dropped across a good country, and meant to do his duty by his nation by extending ite influence. Mercury Bay has no back country, as it is on a neck of land divided from the mainland by an arm of the Houraka Bay. The rivers Cook mentions could only be creeks that were wide at the mouth. The river now called the Thames flows into this arm of the Houraka Bay. This river was named so by Cook, or otherwise it would in all probability still go by its native name. Bat of that further on.

While sailing along they saw a double canoe with a stage between the two parts. This was the first of the sort they had seen.

Canoes were very plentiful, and some of these threatened those on board the Endeavour, and told-them to oome on shore and they would be all killed. A shot was fired at one of these which frightened the rest away.

A grandson of old Toiava came on board and received some presents from Cook. This happened after the vessel had rounded a long point. Cook now took to the boats to try and get a look at the inlet he had entered, or what he presumed to be such. They landed at a town built on a bank of dry sand surrounded by deep mud. The party were received with open arms. The people having heard from Toiava of the kindness he had received from Cook, were very friendly. The water whore he was was quite fresh, and after leaving the town he travelled for 14 miles in the boats up the river. The trees were very lofty. They landed to have a good look at these trees and Cook says they were similar to some he had seen in the distance at Hawke's Bay ; but this is evidently a mistake. One was measured and proved to be 19ft B in in girtb. This could only be a kauri in this part of New Zealand, as it was 89ft long before it branched. It was as straight as an arrow, and tapered but very little in proportion to its height. Others still larger were seen during the day. They cut down a young one, which proved too heavy in Cook's opinion for masts. The ship's carpenter said it resembled pitch pine and might be lightened by being tapped in the manner that is practised for lightening the latter. If this could be done Cook thought that no country in Europe could produce such fine masts. The wood or bush was swampy, and the river as wide as the Thames at Greenwich. They started for the ship with an ebb tide, but the wind and tide turned and forced them to anchor in shelter with the boats. They managed to get on board at 7 next morning, very tired and glad to get on their vessel once more.

(To be continued).