CAPTAIN COOK AND NEW ZEALAND. 1969.

Otago Witness, Issue 2010, 1 September 1892, Page 39

CAPTAIN COOK AND NEW ZEALAND. 1969.

By Apabata Rbnata.

While the natives were trafficking here one of them stole a half-minute glass which was in the binnacle. This man was caught and tied up to receive a good beating, by the orders o£ the commanding officer on board, who was Mr Hicks. This created a row on deck, but when the- others were assured no harm was meant to them, the beating went on, and the culprit's father gave himar^exgft one and sent him to his canoe. iZ ' $j[*»A&i

The north-west extremity of the riverjvas called Point Rodney, and the north-east Cape Oolville, in honour of the Right Hon. Lord Colville. At the entrance of the river it was banked by mangrove trees. But further up the land had immense woods of " perhaps the finest timber in the world," in Cook's words. The islands at the entrance of the Bay were called the Barrier Islands. The natives about the bay were strong and well built ; their canoes were splendidly carved. After sailing for some time the Endeavour was anchored in a bay, and the fishing-lines were put over, and in a short time 100 fish, weighing about 61b each, and called by the Bailors sea-bream, were caught. This place was called Bream Bay, the north head Bream Head, and Borne islands before the bay the Hen and Chickens. They passed some islands which were called tbe Poor Knights. Again while trading the natives proved dishonest, and they had to be intimidated, but no loss of life was caused. Two large canoes came alongside with some natives of rank on board. These canoes were very well carved. Those on board had many weapons of different varieties. They had patoo-patooa of stone and, whalebone • and whale ribs ornamented with- tufts of dog's hair. The men had dark complexions and were differently tatooed to others they had met. Cook says each tribe seemed to" have a different pattern. They would not part with any of their weapons, but offered to trade away a talc (greenstone) axe. But when the oloth was handed to the owner he cleared out, axe and all. This caused Cook to order a shot to be fired over his head. When this had been done he returned and gave back the cloth. They passed a remarkable point, which vas called Cape Brett, in honour of Sir Piercy. The point is perforated through like the arch of a bridge and called by the natives Motugogogo. Three or four leagues from Cape Brett another point was called Point Pococke. Some very large canoes came off to the ship with the most superior people Cook had seen on board. They were stout and well made. Their hair was black, and tied in a bunch at the top of the head, and in this bunch or knot were white feathers. Each canoe had two or three chiefs with robes of the best cloth covered with dogskin, which made an agreeable looking dress. ■ Most of these people were ta» tooed. They traded fraudulently, and no means were used to check them till at last a midshipman was oheated, and while the native was making away with the article this lad threw a fishing line with hook and tinker at him, the hook by good chance | sticking in his back. The midshipman tried to Sraw him close to the ship, but the hook broke, and was left sticking in the thiei's flesh. Some other natives came from some islands, to sell fish which were called cavalles. These islands were called after the fish, the Cavalles. These natives became troublesome, and had to be fired at after they had been throwing stones on board for some time. No damage was done on either side. After this affair the ship bore up for a bay to the westward of Cape Brett. Here about 400 natives came out in their canoes, and while everyone was at dinner a few natives in a canoe towed away the ship's buoy. A musket was fired, the shot striking a man, and then a cannon with ball was fired. At this all the natives went away to look for the cannon ball ; and when they came back Tupia told them no harm would be done to anyone if they did not steal or annoy the people of the Endeavour. Cook now had his vessel anchored in deeper water, and went ashore with Mr Banks, Dr Solander, and some others. They landed in a small

cove, and were soon surrounded by some hundreds of natives, who danced thejr war dance andJbhreatened Cook and his party. A «>«line &«!!2*«£acfoss a part of the cove, and the natives were told that if anyone crossed this line they would be flbofc. This intimidated them but little, and at last a chief passed the line, and urged his followers to the attack. Oaptain Cook was the first to fire, and his gun was loaded with 6hofc ; then Mr Banks and two men fixed. Thie caused the natives to desist for a fe«r minutes, but a chief who was some 20yds away rallied them. Dr Solander fired at him and hit him, at which he felt the place where he was Btruck with the small shot, and dispersed with the rest, who now collected at some distance. Cook and his companions were now in a critical position, and fired bullets with no effect. At last the people on board brought a broadsider to bear on the natives. This finally dispersed them. In this skirmis-h only two natives were hurt with small shot. When the natives bad leit all hands began to gather celery, which was very plentiful in the cove. After this they recollected that some natives had hidden in a cave, and they went towards the place and found an old chief, bis wife, and his brother in it. These were spoken to .kindly, and tbe old man said another brother was the wounded chief, and wanted to know if he would die. The old man was shown some shot and bullets, and told that his brother was not much hurt as shot had been used, but when bullets were nsed the effect was fatal. At this, these three old people gained courage, and were pre-seftted-with some trifles. -Some of Cook's men plundered a plantation and were flogged with six lashes each. One of these protested that a Englishman had a right to do so, and Cook ordered him six more lashes, and to be' confined till he altered his mind. The man who was shot while stealing the ship's buoy was seen, and his wound was quite healed, as the bullet bad simple passed in and out of tbe fleshy part of the arm without any

serious effect. The chief who had received the charge of shot was all right, as very few bad entered his leg, where he was struck.

In a plantation they found the morus papyri/era, of which Oook says " these people as well as the Otaheitians make cloth," but the plant appeared rare, and they saw no piece of cloth used for any purpose except as an ornament attached to the ears of some natives.

They came on a little fort built on a small rock surrounded by water at high tide, and accessible only by a ladder. After some hesitation, an old native who bad accompanied Cook and his companions for some time after the other natives had left, promised to take them up the ladder to see his wife. There were tferee^houSej^on this rock, into which they were tatfep $n ; d in one were three women who were mucValarmed, and cried terribly till they were pacified with some presents. Then Cook and bis friends descended the ladder, which he said was dangerous and difficult, and parted good friends with those in this strange fort. The Endeavour got becalmed and nearly drifted on to the shore. Then she was fortunate enough to get a breeze, but she struok on a rock, but no damage was done. Every one got a fright, as well they might, being in 'a strange and hostile land. This happened close to the bay called by Cook the Bay of Islands. The bay in which the Endeavour had been anchored last was called by the natives Maturaro. The natives here had very large nets, and laughed at the "ones on board the Endeavour. In almost every house the people were employed making netting. There were a great number of natives in and about the Bay of Islands — more thac Cook had seen elsewhere.

While the ship was becalmed in a bay which was called Doubtless Bay some natives came alongside in canoes and said that the land only extended three days' journey in their canoes to the north and at a placa they- called Moorewenna took a sudden turn to the southwards, and thence no further west. This north end of the land was thought by Cook to be Cape Maria Van Diemen, the land discovered by Tasman. The people said they had never visited any other country to the north, but that their ancestors had told them that there was a" country N. N. west of great extent called Mimaroa, So which 3ome people had sailed in a very large canoe, and only part of them returned, and reported that after tbe passage of a month they had seen a country where the people ate hogs. They told Tupia that these people who returned had not brought any hogs back with them. These hogs the natives called Booah, which is the name that Cook heard given to them in all the South Sea Islands where they were to be found. The vessel passed a point called Knuckle Point by Cook. The middle of the bay was called Sandy Bay, and a mountain in the distance Mount Camel, r/'J&ceA /?of. When Cook got to the north head of Sandy Bay he found he had got to the extreme north of the country, and called this cape North Cape. On this oape there was a hippah or village. He passed three islands called by Tasman the Three Kings. On the Ist January 1770 Cook and his companions were opposite the North Cape, or more to the westward. The ship for a few daj£»JJo3ade a westerly course and lost .sight c£ the land, and when they caught sight of Oape Maria- van Dienian it bore north-west. On the 9th January a point was passed whioh was called by Oook Woody Head, and an island called Gannet Island. About the 12th Mount Egmont was seen and named in honour of the earl. This mountain is, 27 leagues south of a point called Albatross Point by Cook, Oook now began to look for ,a sheltered bay to careen the vessel to clean her bottom. While sailing along he mentions seeing a sea lion. The Endeavour went for an inlet, and the tide helped her along. When she was in the bay some natives crossed in a canoe. They saw a village seven or eight miles from the entrance on a point of an island. The natives took to their arms. Cook anchored the vessel in 11 fathoms of water on the north-west side of the bay and the southI west end o£ the island. Four canoes put off from the village, those in them being armed and dressed with a garment fixed over the shoulder and fastened on the breast. They bad very few feathers in their hair. These canoeß went round the vessel several times, and then started to throw stones at those on board. One canoe came alongside, and one of her crew was induced to come on board. His companions held on to him and tried to force him not to Jo so, but he persisted and disengaged himself, and got on board all right. He had a lot of presents given to him, and left peacefully. Csok found plenty of good timber and water here. He tried the seine net and caught 3001b weight of fish. While trading with the natives some of them tried to steal some paper, and then were about to use their war clubs, when a Bhot was fired and hit onq on the knee. This put a stop to the trading. Tupia asked them if they had ever seen a vtssel like the Endeavour, and they replied in the negative. The women had a curious head-dress of black feathers fastened in a bunch on the top of the head, which it entirely covered. While in the pinnace on the way to the oove, they found the body of a woman floating on the water. The natives, on inquiry, said that they had tied a stone to her, and that she had died a natural death and been thrown in the water after their custom, but that the stone must have got detached in some way and thus allowed her body to rise to the surface.

Some natives in the cove were found cooking. They had a dog baking in one oven, and a lot of baskets of provisions standing about. In one of these baskets tn'ey found two human bones picked clean. At this sight Cook and his companions were struck with horror. They had heard about the natives eating human fiesh, but so far had seen nothing to confirm what they had heard on this subject. The natives told Tupia without any hesitation that it was their custom to eat the fiesh of their enemies, and that the bones in question belonged to one of seyen of their enemies who had been slain five days ago. They saw a woman who was terribly cut upon the body. This she bad done while lamenting the death of ber husband, who had been killed and slain by their enemies some time back. From this the natives trust have been at war with each other, as was usual with them. War appeared to be their normal state, and

quarrelling in tribes and families appeared tbe rale with them. J& l $ j jLa*u*a»y/jjr0 m (To be continued.)